Preheat your oven to 200°C. Line your baking trays with baking parchment (you may need to bake the puffs in batches depending on the size of your oven).

Measure the water and milk into a saucepan, and add the butter and salt. Bring to a rolling boil.

Add your sifted flour to the pan quickly, and turn off the heat. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan, and there are no lumps.

Allow the mixture to cool to a tepid temperature.

When it has cooled, gradually add the beaten egg, incorporating it vigorously. It will initially look sloppy, before transforming into a thickened paste. Control the amount of egg you add so that you can monitor the dropping consistency of the choux paste – it should reach dropping consistency of 5-6 seconds (the time it takes for it to fall off your wooden spoon). You may not need all the egg. Alternatively if it is too tight, add a dash of water sparingly. You want a satiny finish. Different flours absorb liquid slightly differently, so pay attention to how yours is reacting and tweak accordingly to achieve the dropping consistency.

Take a teaspoon at a time of your choux paste and place roughly eight cm apart in little balls on your baking trays, to give them room to expand. You can pipe it for a neater effect, but I don’t mind them looking a bit “rustic” personally.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Check them after 15 minutes, and if they’re colouring too quickly adjust the temperature slightly. You want them to achieve a lovely deep golden colour and be cooked through.

Remove from the oven, turn the oven off, and pierce the side of each puff with a skewer to allow the steam to escape. Place them back in the oven to dry out for 5 minutes. Remove, and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy with your filling of choice.

(In this instance, whip your cream with a couple of teaspoons of icing sugar until fluffy. Slice the choux bun in half, and place a small scoop of ice cream inside. Using a piping bag and nozzle, pipe whipped cream on top, and add a few berries or pieces of fresh fruit if in season. Dust with icing sugar on top and enjoy immediately.)