Ingredients :

• Instant coffee — This is what gives the cream its character. Choose a decent brand — Nescafé Gold or equivalent — not the generic kind that smells like the bottom of a tin. Two level teaspoons in hot milk: recognizable aroma without the bitterness.
• Cornstarch (Maizena) — The binder for the pastry cream. Prefer it over flour: it results in a smoother, shinier cream that holds up better after a night in the fridge. No cornstarch? Potato starch works just as well.
• Butter — A double role. In the choux pastry, it makes the shell light and supple. In the glaze, a single teaspoon is enough to achieve that shiny, melting finish we’re looking for. Use unsalted butter only, never margarine.
• Eggs — They dictate the final texture of the éclairs. Incorporate them one by one into the warm dough and watch closely: the dough should be supple, shiny, and form a thick ribbon when you lift the spatula. Too many eggs and the dough runs; too few and the éclairs will stay flat.