Cream Puffs

Instructions:

Make the pastry filling:
In a bowl, mix the softened butter and sugar until well combined.
Add the flour and mix until the dough comes together into a single mass.
Roll out the dough to a thickness of 2-3 mm.
Place the dough in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up.
Once firm, use a cookie cutter or a 5 cm diameter cup to cut out circles. Keep the circles in the freezer until ready to use.
Make the choux pastry:
Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F).
In a stainless steel saucepan, melt the butter completely over medium heat.
Add the milk, water and salt and bring the mixture to the boil. Boil for a further 10 seconds.
Turn off the heat and quickly stir in the flour, stirring until the dough comes together and forms a ball.
Turn the heat back on and cook the batter for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Spread the batter out into the pan to cool for 1 minute.
Gradually add the room temperature eggs in 3-4 batches, mixing well after each addition. The batter should be smooth and form a “V” shape when lifted with a spatula.
Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm round tip (or without a tip if you don’t have one).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and use a 5cm cup to mark circles on the paper as a guide for the piping bag. Pipe
the choux pastry into the marked circles, maintaining constant pressure.
Place a circle of frozen butter on top of each pastry bag.
Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 170°C (338°F) and bake for a further 15 minutes.
After baking, crack the oven door slightly and let the pastries cool for 10 minutes before removing them.