Hazelnut Coffee Cream Puffs

Directions

1. Position two oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven to accommodate two trays of puffs, then heat oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, then set aside.
2. Prepare the custard: In a medium saucepan, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt until combined. Add the egg yolks and whisk to combine. Add the Nespresso, milk, and cream and whisk until smooth. Add the butter.
3. Cook over medium heat whisking constantly until the mixture has just started to thicken and come to a very low boil, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook the mixture for another minute or two until custard has thickened significantly and coats the back of a spoon, then immediately pour the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl, gently pressing through with a spatula as needed. Discard any solids in the sieve. Add the vanilla to the custard and stir to combine. Cover the custard with plastic wrap or wax paper, pressing the plastic or wax on the surface to prevent a skin forming, and refrigerate until cold (about 1 hour).
4. Make the puffs: Bring the butter, sugar, salt, and water to a simmer over medium heat in a medium saucepan, stirring with a wooden spoon. As soon as it comes to a boil, add the flour, stirring constantly, until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring the dough occasionally.
5. Add the eggs to the dough in the pan, one at a time, stirring vigorously between each addition with a wooden spoon. The dough will break apart and slide around in the pot before it comes back together.
6. Using a small ice cream scoop or a spoon of similar size (you want each scoop of dough to be about 2 tablespoons), drop the dough about 3 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Wet one of your fingers and tap down any peaks on the dough. Bake until deep golden brown and puffed, rotating the sheets halfway through, about 22 to 26 minutes total. Transfer sheets to racks, pierce the side of each puff with a skewer to allow steam to escape, then let puffs cool completely.
7. Fill the puffs: Transfer the custard to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch tip. Use the hole from the skewer to fill each puff with 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling.
8. Make caramel topping: Add water to a small saucepan. Add the sugar to the center. Cook over medium heat, carefully swirling the pan occasionally to cook evenly without stirring, until the mixture starts to darken in spots, about 7 to 10 minutes. Swirl the pan and continue to cook until the caramel is a light amber, another 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat. It will continue to darken a bit off the heat.
9. Working very carefully to avoid hot caramel touching your skin, dip the tops of each puff in the caramel and return to the parchment-lined sheet pan to cool and harden. Do not touch the caramel until it has cooled.
10. To serve: Dust with confectioners’ sugar using a mesh sieve. Serve immediately after filling—the puffs and the cream can be made a day in advance, then filled and dipped in caramel the next day.