In a medium heavy bottom saucepan, heat the butter and water until the butter is melted and mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat, add the flour, and beat until the mixture leaves the sides of the saucepan. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined.

Tip:  Make sure to beat well after each egg, and quickly:  You don’t want the egg to start cooking in the hot mixture before it’s mixed in!

Set the pastry dough aside, and prepare a large pastry bag with a large round tip. (I use tip #808)

Spoon the pastry dough into a piping bag and pipe the dough into walnut-sized rounds on an ungreased baking sheet. Wet your fingertips with a bit of water and press down the little peaks on the tops of each round.

Place the pan of piped profiteroles in the oven, and reduce the heat to 400 degrees F. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.

When the pastry comes out of the oven, using the sharp tip of a small knife, poke little holes in the side of each puff to let the steam escape. (This keeps the pastry a little more crisp.)

Once the puffs are cool, prepare another piping bag with a smaller tip (any shape, and the size doesn’t matter too much– I like to use a star tip #16 or #18 for this).  Pipe a bit of filling into the puffs through the hole you made when they came out of the oven.

Serve fresh (ideally on the day they are made).

In a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan, melt the butter and remove from heat.  Stir in the flour, sugar, and salt (I like to mix them together ahead of time), and stir to combine. Add about 1/2 cup milk and stir until smooth; add the rest of the milk and stir to combine.

Once the mixture is done, pour it into a glass bowl, cover it with plastic, and refrigerate overnight.

Note:  Make sure the plastic sits directly on top of the filling; this will prevent it from forming a “skin.”  And don’t worry– it won’t melt!