Mascarpone cheese and ready-made vanilla pudding form the secret shortcut for the pastry cream filling in these crisp, tender pastries.

Espresso Sauce Cream Puffs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Draw six 2-1/4-inch circles 2-inches apart on parchment paper. Turn paper over on baking sheet; set aside.

Combine water, butter, granulated sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to boiling. Immediately add flour all at once. Cook and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool for 5 minutes. Add 2 eggs. one at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain pastry tip with dough. Pipe dough in spirals onto parchment, starting at edge of circle and working toward the center, gradually lifting bag. Brush remaining beaten egg over dough, slightly smoothing the surfaces. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and firm. Use a wooden toothpick to poke holes into each pastry to allow steam to escape. Transfer to a wire rack and cool.

Prepare Vanilla Mascarpone Cream: Combine mascarpone cheese, vanilla pudding snack cup, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl; set aside.

Prepare Chocolate-Espresso Sauce: Place chocolate in a small heatproof bowl; set aside. Combine heavy cream and espresso beans in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, or just until boiling. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve placed over the bowl of chocolate; discard espresso solids. Let chocolate-espresso mixture stand for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth.

Cut puffs crosswise in half. Spoon Vanilla Mascarpone Cream into puff bottoms. Replace tops. Pour Chocolate-Espresso Sauce over tops. If desired, sift with additional powdered sugar.