Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°F (conventional oven).

Step 2

Place salt, water, sugar (if using), and butter in a saucepan, and heat over medium high heat, stirring occasionally to melt the butter, salt, and sugar.

Step 3

When the water is starting to boil (butter should be melted at this point), remove the pot from the heat, and immediately add the flour in one go and vigorously mix the flour in so that it absorbs all of the water. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to do this.

Step 4

When the flour has absorbed the water and it's coming together to form a dough, return the pan to the stove (medium heat).

Step 5

Cook the dough for 1 – 3 minutes (over medium heat). Mix the dough and move it around in the pan until you get a dough that easily pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a film on the bottom of the pan (if using a stainless steel pan). It should look like a lump of smooth mashed potatoes. (The cook time will vary depending on your stove top.)

Step 6

Transfer the dough into a bowl and let it cool down slightly for about 1 - 2 minutes. Add the vanilla extract (if using), and mix it in. You can use a spatula / wooden spoon, a hand-held mixer (or whisk), or even a stand mixer to do this.

Step 7

Place the eggs in a bowl or jug, and whisk well.

Step 8

Add about 1 amount of egg (¼ cup) to the dough, and mix well until it’s fully incorporated into the dough.

Step 9

Keep adding the eggs in small increments, mixing well in between, until you have the right consistency (i.e. a dough with a glossy sheen and pipeable consistency.) You may not use all of the eggs, so keep an eye on the dough to prevent adding too much of the eggs.

Step 10

Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper.

Step 11

Place the dough in a large piping bag that's attached with a large tip (½ inch round tip or ½ in French star tip).

Step 12

Pipe mounds of the dough on the parchment paper, with about 1.5 - 2 inches of space between each. Pipe the dough at a 90° angle (to the baking tray), making sure to keep the piped dough as smooth as possible. Twist the piping bag and lift it up after piping a pastry mound to get a clean finish. Then flatten the tip of the pastry mound with a dampened finger. Aim for medium sized puffs where the piped mounds are about 1.5 - 2 inches in width, and about 1 - 1.5 inches in height.

Step 13

Bake for 30 – 40 minutes in the center of your preheated oven, or until the choux pastry shells puff up and are golden brown on top. Do not open the oven door, at least until you have reached the 25 minute mark. Importantly, the baking time depends on the size of your pastry shells. If you prefer a drier shell, bake for a couple of minutes longer.

Step 14

During the last 5 – 10 minutes of baking, prick each shell with a skewer or toothpick and let them dry out in the oven while baking.

Step 15

Remove from the oven, and prick the cases again, and let the choux pastry cases cool slightly in a draft-free area. (Letting them cool in an open but switched off oven is even better, but not necessary).

Step 16

Place the pastry cases on a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 17

Prepare the filling, while the choux pastry cases are cooling.

Step 18

OR you can store cooled choux pastry shells in an air-tight container for up to one day. To store them for longer, freeze them in an air-tight container.

Step 19

In a small microwave-safe bowl, place the water, and sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the water. Make sure all the gelatin is saturated with water, and then let it sit for at least 10 minutes to bloom.

Step 20

In a large bowl, place the heavy cream, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla, and salt. Stir to combine. Have it ready to be whisked with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer by the time the gelatin is ready.

Step 21

After 10 minutes, microwave the gelatin in 10 second intervals to dissolve it. Do NOT let the gelatin mixture boil.

Step 22

Stir in the 1 tbsp of cold cream or milk.

Step 23

Start whisking the heavy cream mixture on high speed, and add the gelatin into it. Do NOT add the gelatin directly onto the whisk. Instead, add it where the cream is moving quickly due to whisking action. Alternatively, as soon as you add the gelatin, move the mixer around in the cream to make sure that the gelatin is mixed in well. The idea is to get the gelatin mixed into the cream as fast as possible, without it touching the whisk when added.

Step 24

Lower the mixer speed to medium (or medium high), and whisk the heavy cream until you have stiff peaks. Keep a close eye on it since the cream can go from stiff peaks to broken in a matter of seconds.

Step 25

Place the whipped chantilly cream in a large pastry bag, attached with a star tip (to create swirls), or with a round tip / bismarck tip (to fill).

Step 26

Cut the upper ⅓ of the choux puff with a sharp knife to create a “lid”.

Step 27

Fill the bottom part of the pastry with a swirl of chantilly cream. Place the “lid” back on top. Repeat with all the pastry puffs and then dust them with confectioner’s sugar. Now they are ready to be served.

Step 28

Make a hole in the bottom of each choux puff. You can either use a small knife to cut an “x” to create an opening, OR use a small French star pastry tip to cut a small hole.

Step 29

Insert the piping tip into the hole and fill the choux puff with chantilly cream. Repeat with all the puffs. Dust with confectioner's sugar and serve.