1. Preheat and Prepare the Trays

Start by getting the oven and baking sheets ready so the dough can go in as soon as it is mixed, which helps the cream puffs rise properly.

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray and set them aside; you will bake 12 cream puffs, 6 on each tray so they have enough room to expand without touching.

Keeping the trays prepared before you cook the dough avoids delays, which is important for choux pastry because it benefits from going into a hot oven while it is still slightly warm.

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2. Cook the Water, Butter and Salt

This step creates the base for classic choux pastry by melting the butter into the water and infusing it with salt before adding the flour.

• Add 1 cup of water, 1 stick of unsalted butter and ½ teaspoon of salt to a medium saucepan.
• Place the pan over medium low heat and bring the mixture to a full boil, allowing the butter to melt completely into the water.
• As soon as it reaches a boil, turn off the heat; this timing is important so the fat and liquid are hot enough to absorb the flour smoothly without scorching.

The mixture should look uniform, with no separate pools of melted butter floating on top of the water before continuing.

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3. Add Flour and Form the Panade

The panade is the thick paste formed when hot liquid and flour are stirred together and it is the foundation that gives cream puffs their structure.

• With the pan off the heat, add 1 cup of all purpose flour all at once to the hot liquid.
• Immediately stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula until the flour is completely incorporated and no dry pockets remain; at first it will look messy, then quickly pull together into a ball.
• Turn the heat back on to medium and cook the dough, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes; the mixture will become smooth, glossy and will start to leave a thin film on the bottom of the pan.

Cooking the panade on the stove helps evaporate excess moisture, which keeps the cream puffs hollow rather than soggy in the center.

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4. Beat in the Eggs

Eggs transform the panade into a pipeable or spoonable choux dough that puffs dramatically in the oven.

• Scrape the hot dough into a large mixing bowl and let it cool just a couple of minutes so the eggs do not scramble when added, but are still going into a warm base.
• Add the 4 room temperature eggs one at a time, beating well with a whisk or wooden spoon after each addition until fully incorporated before adding the next.
• The dough will look separated and curdled at first when each egg goes in, but keep beating until it becomes smooth again before proceeding.
• After the final egg is mixed in, the choux dough should be thick, smooth and shiny, and when lifted with a spoon it should fall back in a heavy ribbon.

Room temperature eggs blend more easily into the warm dough, which means you do not have to overwork the mixture to achieve a smooth consistency.

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5. Shape the Cream Puffs

The dough is now ready to be portioned into mounds that will puff up and form hollow centers ready for filling.

• Using two spoons, scoop and drop the dough into 12 rounded mounds on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them evenly with six mounds per tray.
• Dip a fingertip in a little water and gently smooth the tops and any rough edges or peaks on each mound so they bake evenly and do not burn on the tips.
• Aim for mounds of similar size so all cream puffs rise and bake at the same rate.

Smoothing the tops prevents tiny protruding tips from browning too quickly and helps each cream puff bake into a more uniform round shape.

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6. Bake and Cool the Shells

Proper baking time and cooling are essential for dry, crisp shells that stay hollow and do not collapse when filled.

• Place the trays in the 400 degree oven and bake the cream puffs for about 45 minutes until well risen and deeply golden.
• Avoid opening the oven door during baking, especially in the early stages, because sudden temperature drops can deflate the puffs.
• Once baked, remove the trays from the oven and let the cream puffs cool completely on the baking sheets for at least 30 minutes before filling.

The shells should feel light for their size and sound hollow when gently tapped, a sign that the interior structure has formed correctly.

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7. Make the Chocolate Sauce

The chocolate sauce is a simple ganache style topping that adds a rich finish to the cool, creamy filling and crisp shells.

• Set up a double boiler by placing a heatproof bowl over a pot of gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
• Add ½ cup of heavy cream and 12 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips to the bowl.
• Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate chips melt completely and the mixture becomes smooth and glossy.
• Remove the bowl from the heat and let the chocolate sauce cool for about 2 minutes so it thickens slightly and is warm, not scalding, when poured over the cream puffs.

The gentle heat of a double boiler prevents the chocolate from scorching and keeps the sauce silky.

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8. Fill and Assemble the Cream Puffs

Once the shells are cool and the sauce is ready, it is time to assemble the dessert.

• Take each cream puff and, using a sharp knife, slice off the top third horizontally to create a lid and a base that resembles a little bowl.
• Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream inside each base or use sweetened whipped cream or pastry cream if preferred.
• Set the tops back on like lids, then drizzle the warm chocolate sauce generously over each filled cream puff just before serving.

Serving the cream puffs soon after assembling keeps the shells crisp while the cold filling and warm chocolate provide a pleasing contrast.