Prepare your tools. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. For piping the dough, prepare a piping bag with a 3/4” round tip. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

In a saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter, salt, and sugar.

Place the pan over medium heat. Stir gently yet constantly to avoid scorching.

Once it starts to boil, remove from the heat and immediately stir in the flour. Use a wooden or silicone spoon to mix the flour in.

Once the flour is incorporated, place the pan on low heat and cook while stirring constantly for 2 minutes. This step will release moisture and partially cook the flour. A thin film will form on the bottom of the pan and the dough will pull away from the sides and form a ball.

Transfer the dough to a bowl.

Use a hand mixer to beat the dough on medium speed to cool it slightly.

Add the eggs one at a time, and beat on medium speed. Ensure that each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next one. After all the eggs have been added, beat the dough for an additional minute. The dough should be smooth and should form a thick V shape that hangs off the beaters.

Transfer the dough to the prepared piping bag. Pipe the dough into circles that are about 1 1/2 inches wide and about 1/2 inch tall. Be sure to space these rounds at least 1 inch apart on the cookie sheet.

To eliminate any pointed peaks on the rounds, wet your finger lightly with water and smooth out the tops.

Bake at 425˚F for 10 minutes in the center of the oven. Without opening the oven door, decrease the temperature to 325˚F and bake 20 to 22 minutes longer or until dark golden brown on top. Transfer the puffs to a wire rack to cool completely.

If you’d like to make stabilized whipped cream, you can add gelatin. If you would prefer not to add gelatin, simply skip this step. Sprinkle the gelatin on the water, and let sit for 3 minutes. Microwave in 5 second intervals until the gelatin is completely dissolved, and set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Use a hand mixer to begin, beating it on low speed, then increase to medium speed.

When you see trails starting to form on the surface of the cream, slowly add the gelatin mixture, then increase the beating speed to high. Continue to beat until stiff peaks are formed. Be careful not to overbeat, or you will wind up with butter.

There are many ways to fill and decorate the cream puffs. One way is to fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip with the whipped cream. Cut the puffs in half and pipe the whipped cream inside. You may also add fruit at this step. Look how nicely these puffs baked up! They are perfectly hollow on the inside and they have risen well.

Place the cap back on the puff, dust generously with powdered sugar, and serve immediately.

Notes: ⭐️ The puffs can be made up to 2 days ahead. Store them at room temperature in an airtight container. They may lose some of their crispness while stored, but you can re-crisp them in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes.

Notes: ⭐️ Another filling method is to insert the pastry bag’s star tip into the side of a puff and completely fill the hollow center with whipped cream. ⭐️ If you would like to freeze the cream puffs, fill their centers, then freeze them for up to three months. To serve, thaw in the refrigerator for 2 hours or at room temp for 30 minutes.