Step by step

Method

4 steps

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets. In a saucepan, bring 1 cup water, ½ cup unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon sugar to a full boil. Dump in 1 cup all-purpose flour all at once and stir hard until the dough pulls from the pan into a smooth ball, about 1–2 minutes.

2. 2

   Cool the dough 5 minutes off the heat. Beat in 4 large eggs one at a time — each egg looks like it won't mix, then it does. Stop when the dough is glossy and falls from the spoon in a thick V-shaped ribbon.

3. 3

   Pipe or spoon mounds onto the sheets, leaving space. Bake 30–35 minutes until deeply golden and hollow-sounding when tapped. Don't open the oven early or they collapse. Cool completely on a rack.

4. 4

   Whip 1½ cups heavy cream with 3 tablespoons powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla to soft peaks. Split the puffs, fill, and dust with powdered sugar. You want shatter-crisp shells with airy cream inside — not soggy deflated puffs or an eggy underbaked dough.