Maple Cream Puffs

Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C), with a rack in the middle. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the butter into small pieces. Wash your hands and clean the work surface before preparing the dough.

Combine the butter, water, and salt in the saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the butter melts, then bring to a full boil. Immediately remove from the heat and add all the flour. Stir vigorously with the wooden spoon until no dry flour remains.

Return the saucepan to medium-low heat. Cook, stirring and pressing the dough against the pan, for 2–3 minutes. It should form a smooth ball, pull away from the sides, and leave a thin film on the bottom of the pan.

Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes, stirring once halfway through. It should still feel warm but should no longer be steaming heavily.

Beat in 3 eggs, one at a time, using the hand mixer on low speed. Fully incorporate each egg before adding the next; the dough will briefly look slippery and separated, then become smooth. Whisk the fourth egg in a small bowl and add it a little at a time until the dough is glossy and falls slowly from a lifted spoon in a thick V-shaped ribbon. It should hold a soft mound rather than spread like batter. You may not need all the fourth egg; discard any unused portion. Wash your hands and clean utensils and surfaces that touched raw egg before handling the filling.

Using two spoons, place 16 evenly sized, rounded mounds of dough on the prepared baking sheet, approximately 2 generous tablespoons each. Space them at least 2 inches apart. Gently flatten sharp peaks with the back of a spoon.

Bake for 15 minutes without opening the oven. Reduce the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for 25–30 minutes, until the puffs are well risen, deeply golden, and firm rather than soft along their sides. Avoid opening the oven during the first 30 minutes of baking.

Remove the baking sheet and carefully cut a small slit in the side of each puff, keeping your fingers clear of escaping steam. Return the puffs to the oven for 5 minutes to dry their interiors. Transfer to the wire rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes. The shells should feel light and crisp, with no visibly wet dough inside.

While the shells cool, beat the cold heavy cream in a clean bowl until soft peaks form. Drizzle in 3 tablespoons of the maple syrup and continue beating just until medium-firm peaks hold their shape with slightly curved tips. Stop before the cream becomes grainy. Cover and refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or below for at least 20 minutes, until needed.

In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar with the remaining 3 tablespoons maple syrup until smooth. The glaze should fall from the whisk in a thin ribbon.

Assemble within 30 minutes of serving. Cut each cooled shell horizontally across its upper third. Divide all the chilled maple cream evenly among the 16 bases, then replace their tops. Drizzle the glaze thinly over the tops, dividing it among all 16 puffs. Serve promptly, keeping the assembled puffs refrigerated until serving if there is a delay.