Coffee Profiteroles with Chocolate Glaze

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the coffee cream

   Heat the milk with the instant coffee in a saucepan until the coffee dissolves; do not let it boil vigorously. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch. Whisking constantly, slowly pour in about a third of the hot milk, then pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Stir over low heat for 2–3 minutes, until the cream thickens and begins to bubble gently. Remove from the heat, stir in 15 g of the butter, cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface, and leave to cool for at least 45 minutes.

   
2. 2

   Prepare the choux pastry

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F), using conventional top and bottom heat. Put the water, 55 g of the butter, and the salt in a small saucepan. Once the mixture comes to a boil and the butter has melted, add all the flour at once and stir vigorously for about 1 minute, until the dough comes together into a smooth ball and a fine film forms on the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. The dough should be smooth and glossy, and fall slowly from the spoon.

   
3. 3

   Bake the profiteroles

   Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using two teaspoons, shape the dough into 12 mounds about 4 cm (1½ inches) in diameter, leaving space between them. Bake for 10 minutes at 200 °C (400 °F), then, without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 180 °C (350 °F) and bake for another 18 minutes, until the mounds are golden brown and light. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar, and let them sit inside for 5 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely.

   
4. 4

   Fill the cooled pastries

   Briefly whisk the cooled cream until smooth. Cut a small opening in the side or bottom of each profiterole and fill it with the cream using a piping bag, or a small spoon. Divide the cream evenly among all 12 pastries.

   
5. 5

   Finish with the chocolate glaze

   Finely chop the chocolate. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until tiny bubbles begin to form around the edge, then remove it from the heat, add the chocolate, and leave to stand for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Dip the tops of the filled profiteroles lightly into the glaze and leave it to set for 10 minutes at room temperature. Serve at room temperature, when the cream is soft and the pastry is still slightly crisp.