Coffee Eclairs

Who can resist eclairs anyway?  And Coffee Eclairs, talk about a double whammy.  If you don't want to pipe the pastry for an eclair, just drop by spoonfuls and call them cream puffs...that works well too!

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
Milk

1. Preheat the oven to 400F
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan.  Bring to boil over a medium low heat.  The butter must melt before the water boils.
3. Remove from heat and add all the flour at once.  Stir with a wooden spoon then return to a low heat and continue to cook, stirring, until mixture forms a ball and comes away from the side of the pan, about 1 minute.  Turn into a bowl and slowly add the beaten eggs, a tablespoon at a time, beating the mixture until it comes together before adding more egg.  Add enough of the egg so that the mixture falls slowly from the lifted wooden spoon.
4. Place in a piping bag with a plain 1/2 inch tip and proceed to pipe 3 to 4 inch strips at least 1 1/2 inches apart onto the parchment paper.  You will have about 10 pieces.  Add about 1 tsp of milk to any remaining egg mixture, mix, then using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the eclairs.  If you have no egg left, just use a little more milk.  Place eclairs in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
5. Lower the oven temperature to 375F and continue to bake for 10 minutes.  The pastry should be light and crispy and dark in colour.  Turn off the oven, then remove eclairs from oven.   With a small knife, pierce each end of each pastry, return to the oven to dry out for about 30 minutes.

COFFEE CREAM FILLING

1 cup homogenized milk

1 tbsp instant coffee granules

3 egg yolks

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup whipping cream

1. In a saucepan, bring milk and coffee to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Whisk egg yolks with sugar until thick and light.  Whisk in the cornstarch, vanilla and salt, then gradually whisk in 1/3 of the coffee milk mixture.
2. Return mixture to the saucepan, then place over medium heat and continue to cook, whisking continuously.  Mixture will thicken and come to a boil.  Cook another minute, whisking all the time.
3. Pour into a bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic onto the coffee cream.  Poke a few holes into the plastic with a knife and let cool.  Refrigerate.
4. Whip the cream until stiff.  Whisk cold coffee filling, then fold in whipping cream.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

COFFEE ICING

1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted

1 tbsp cold strong coffee

1. Place icing sugar in a small bowl and add enough coffee to make a thick smooth icing.
2. To assemble:  with a serrated knife, cut eclairs in half. Using a small knife, ice the top halves of the eclairs with coffee icing.  Spoon the chilled coffee cream into the bottom halves of the eclairs.  Top with the iced tops and serve.

Makes 8 to 10 eclairs.