Pate a choux

Bring the water, milk, salt and butter to a rolling boil in a stainless steel pot.

Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously and constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent lumps.

Keep cooking and stirring until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pot.

Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle and mix on low speed to cool the batter to 100 degrees, so the eggs will not cook when they go in.

With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each and bringing the dough smooth before the next. Stop when the dough has a pearl-like sheen and the paste pulls away from the sides of the bowl; not all the eggs may be needed.

Pipe the paste into the desired shapes on parchment lined sheet pans.

Bake at 400 degrees in a well heated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, until risen and beginning to hold a firm structure.

Reduce the oven to 360 degrees to finish. A properly baked shell has all the moisture driven out and sounds hollow when tapped; taken out too early the shell collapses.

Cool the shells completely before filling.