Mocha-Filled Cream Puffs

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup water
  
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
  
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 2 eggs
  
• Mocha Cream Filling (recipe follows)
  
• Powdered sugar

Directions:

Heat oven to 400°F. Grease cookie sheet.

Heat water and butter in medium saucepan to rolling boil. Add flour all at once. Stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture leaves side of pan and forms a ball. Remove mixture from heat. Add eggs, one at a time, beating with spoon after each addition until smooth. Drop batter by scant 1/4 cupfuls about 3 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheet.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Slice small portion horizontally from the top of the puffs. Set the tops aside. Remove any soft dough from inside the puffs. Remove the puffs from cookie sheet to wire rack; cool completely.

Prepare Mocha Cream Filling.

Fill the puffs. Replace tops; sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Refrigerate until cold. Cover; refrigerate leftover puffs.

Makes 6 cream puffs.

Mocha Cream Filling

Ingredients:

2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1-1/2 cups milk
2 to 3 teaspoons powdered instant coffee
1 egg yolk, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Stir together sugar, cocoa and cornstarch in medium saucepan; gradually add milk and instant coffee. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils; boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Gradually stir small amount of the hot mixture into egg yolk, blending well; then return the mixture to pan. Heat just to boiling, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into bowl; press plastic wrap onto surface.

Refrigerate until cold.