Classic Cream Puffs

Preheat oven; prepare baking sheets: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Make dough in a saucepan: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine butter, sugar, salt and 1 cup water.

Cook dough: Bring to a boil and quickly stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Continue to stir until a film forms on the bottom of the pan.

Remove dough from heat; add eggs: Remove from heat and transfer contents to a bowl to cool slightly, about 3 minutes. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously to entirely incorporate egg after each addition.

Prepare egg wash: For the egg wash, whisk together the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water. Set aside.

Place dough in pastry bag: Transfer the pâte à choux to a large pastry bag fitted with a 5/8-inch plain tip.

Pipe dough onto pan: Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds onto each prepared pan.

Smooth tops of rounds: Gently smooth the pointed peaks with a moistened finger, rounding tops to ensure even rising.

Brush with egg wash and bake: Brush tops with reserved egg wash. Bake until puffs rise and are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Puffs can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.

Fill puffs with pastry cream: Use a paring knife to make a small X in the bottom of each puff to create an opening for filling. Transfer pastry cream to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/8-inch plain round tip. Insert the tip into the opening of each pastry, and pipe to fill with pastry cream. Serve immediately.