Espresso Cream Puffs

Total Time: 5 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 4 hrs 30 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 24
• 1 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup nonfat milk
• 2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons margarine
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder or 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg
• cooking spray
• 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 1 tablespoon water
• 3/4 cup nonfat milk
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
• powdered sugar (optional)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 400°.
• 2 cream puffs: combine flour, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside.
• 3 combine 1 cup milk, butter, and espresso granules in a large saucepan; bring to a boil.
• 4 reduce heat to low; add flour mixture, stirring well until mixture is smooth and pulls away from sides of pan.
• 5 remove mixture from heat.
• 6 add eggs and egg , 1 at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon until smooth.
• 7 drop the dough by level tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray.
• 8 bake for 10 minutes.
• 9 reduce oven temperature to 350°; bake an additional 10 minutes or until browned and crisp.
• 10 remove from oven; pierce the side of each cream puff with the tip of a sharp knife.
• 11 turn oven off; let cream puffs stand in partially closed oven for 20 minutes.
• 12 remove from baking sheet; cool completely on a wire rack.
• 13 pastry cream: sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl; set aside.
• 14 combine 3/4 cup milk and next 5 ingredients (milk through egg yolks) in a medium saucepan.
• 15 place over low heat; cook until warm, stirring constantly.
• 16 stir in gelatin mixture; cook over medium heat until thick (about 8 minutes), stirring constantly.
• 17 remove from heat.
• 18 place pan in a large ice-filled bowl; let stand 15 minutes or until room temperature (do not allow mixture to set).
• 19 remove pan from ice.
• 20 gently whisk in whipped topping.
• 21 cover and chill 4 hours or until thick.
• 22 cut tops off cream puffs; fill each cream puff with 1 tablespoon filling. sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.