Chocolate-Cappuccino éclairs

Instructions

1. To make the pastry cream, whisk together the granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla in a bowl. Whisk in the cocoa, cornstarch, espresso powder, and cinnamon. Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan; whisk in the cocoa mixture. Return the milk mixture to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook, whisking, until thickened. Spoon into a bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface; refrigerate until cool. Fold in the whipped topping; refrigerate.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray; line with parchment paper.
3. To make the cream puff dough, combine the water, oil, butter, granulated sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Cook until the butter melts and the mixture boils, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour all at once; cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the pan, 1 – 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the eggs and egg white, one at a time, beating vigorously after each addition until the dough is smooth and shiny.
4. Fill a large pastry bag (no need to use a tip) with the dough. Pipe onto the baking sheet to form eight 4-inch-long x 2-inch-wide fingers. Bake until golden, about 35 minutes. Turn off the oven. Make a small slit in one end of each éclair. Return to the oven for 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.
5. To assemble the éclairs, with a small knife, make a hole in one end of each éclair. Spoon the pastry cream into a pastry bag fitted with a 1⁄4-inch plain tip. Pipe about 2 tablespoons pastry cream into each éclair. Dust with the confectioners’ sugar. Serve within 2 hours. Yields 1 éclair per serving.