Making pâte à choux is not difficult at all. It is simply a matter of bringing water and butter to a boil, then dumping in flour and stirring it until a mass forms, which takes only a minute or two. You let the steaming dough cool for a moment, then beat in a few eggs, one at a time. That’s it.
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line two 12-by-18-inch baking sheets with parchment. On each sheet, pipe six rows of 1 1/2-inch-round mounds of dough, five to a row, with at least 1 inch of space between them. (If you prefer, use two soup spoons to put the dough on the sheet.) Brush each mound with beaten egg, smoothing the tops with a finger if not quite round.
04Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees. Continue baking for about 25 minutes, turning baking sheets as necessary, until mounds are puffed, golden and crisp. Serve immediately or cool on a rack and reheat later.