Coffee eclairs with vanilla cream

ingredients

• • 75 gram butter, cubed
  • 200 millilitre water
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • pinch salt
  • 3 size 6 eggs, room temperature

• Filling

  • 350 millilitre cream, whipped
  • 1 tablespoon icing sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

• Icing

  • 2 tablespoon espresso or strong coffee
  • 2 cup icing sugar, sifted

method

• • 1

    Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line two oven trays with baking paper.

  • 2

    Place the butter and water in a pan and bring the mixture to the boil.

  • 3

    Remove the pan from the heat and add the flour and salt all at once. Stir the mixture vigorously until it is well combined.

  • 4

    Return the pan to a low heat. Continue to stir the mixture until it leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball in the middle. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer and set it aside to cool for 5 minutes.

  • 5

    Using a medium-high speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. The mixture should be thick, smooth and shiny and “just” drop from a spoon.

  • 6

    Using a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle, pipe 14 x 6cm eclairs onto the prepared oven trays (leaving them room to double in size). Bake the eclairs in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until they are golden and risen.

  • 7

    Remove the eclairs from the oven. As soon as you can handle them, use the point of a paring knife to twist a small hole in the bottom of each eclair. Place the eclairs hole-side up on the trays and return them to a 120°C oven for 15 minutes to dry out. Remove the eclairs from the oven and place them on cooling racks. When ready to serve, whip the cream, icing sugar and vanilla together until the mixture is lightly stiff.

  • 8

    Make the coffee icing by adding the coffee to the icing sugar. Mix them together, adding a little extra hot water if necessary, until the icing is smooth and glossy (it should be neither too runny nor too thick).

  • 9

    Place the whipped cream in a piping bag fitted with a medium nozzle. Fill each eclair through the hole in the bottom (or carefully split them in half lengthways and spread the cream inside).

  • 10

    Top each eclair with a spoonful of the coffee icing and leave them to set for a few minutes.