Weeknight-Friendly Cream Puffs (Classic)

Make the pastry cream (chill while you bake)

1. Heat the milk: In a medium saucepan, warm the milk with 1/4 cup of the sugar over medium heat until steaming and just barely simmering at the edges.
2. Whisk the yolks: In a bowl, whisk egg yolks with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and slightly lighter in color.
3. Temper: Slowly whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot milk into the yolk mixture, then pour everything back into the saucepan.
4. Thicken: Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the cream bubbles. Once it is bubbling, keep whisking and cook 30 to 60 seconds more to fully activate the cornstarch (this helps the set and prevents a starchy taste).
5. Finish: Off heat, whisk in butter and vanilla. For extra smoothness, strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
6. Chill: Press plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate until cool and thickened, at least 1 to 2 hours (2 to 3 hours is even better). If you are in a rush, spread it in a shallow dish to cool faster. You can fill the puffs sooner if needed, but the cream will be softer.

Bake the choux pastry shells

1. Prep: Heat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Boil the base: In a saucepan, combine water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a full boil over medium-high heat.
3. Add flour: Add the flour all at once and stir hard with a wooden spoon until it forms a smooth ball.
4. Dry the dough: Keep cooking and stirring for 1 to 2 minutes. You want a thin film on the bottom of the pan and the dough to look smooth and slightly shiny.
5. Cool briefly: Move dough to a mixing bowl. Stir for 1 minute to release steam so you do not scramble the eggs.
6. Add eggs gradually: Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. The final dough should be smooth, glossy, and fall from the spoon in a thick V shape. Another cue: if you drag a finger through the dough, the trench should slowly start to close. If it feels too stiff, beat the last egg separately and add a little at a time until the texture is right.
7. Pipe: Pipe 12 mounds (about 2 inches wide) onto the sheet, spacing them apart. Smooth any peaks with a fingertip dipped in water. They will bake up to roughly 2.5 to 3 inches.
8. Bake hot, then dry: Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes, then without opening the oven, reduce heat to 375°F and bake 18 to 22 minutes more. Go by cues: puffs should be deeply golden, feel light for their size, and the shells should sound a little hollow when tapped.
9. Prevent collapse: Turn off oven. Crack the door and let puffs sit inside for 10 minutes. Then cool completely on a rack. Optional but helpful: poke a tiny slit in the side of each puff to vent steam as they cool.

Fill and serve

1. Fill: Spoon chilled pastry cream into a piping bag. Poke a small hole in the bottom of each puff and pipe until it feels heavy, or slice puffs in half and spoon in the cream.
2. Finish: Dust with powdered sugar and serve right away for maximum crispness.