• Preheat oven to 190°C. Line baking trays with baking paper or silicone mats.
• Add milk, water, sugar, salt and butter into a saucepot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Turn off the heat then add in flour and combine well using a spatula.
• Using low heat, cook the flour mixture for a few minutes to dry out the mixture. Once you see that the bottom of the pot is covered in a thin film of residue, transfer the pastry to a mixing bowl.
• Add eggs into the mixing bowl, one at a time, and combine well with the spatula. Ensure that each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. To check if the pastry is of the correct consistency, cut through the pastry using the spatula and check if it closes back up slowly. If it does, it is ready. If not, add a little more egg mixture and combine.
• Transfer pastry to a piping bag and pipe 6-8cm rounds on the baking paper/silicone mat. If you prefer to make smaller cream puffs, pipe 3-4cm rounds instead. Using a moist finger or a fork, flatten any pointed peaks to ensure even baking.
• Bake pastry at 190°C for around 20-30 minutes (depending on size of cream puffs) until browned. Avoid opening the oven in between to prevent cream puffs from collapsing. The resultant cream puffs should feel light and be hollow inside. Transfer cream puffs to a wire rack to cool completely before filling with cream. If not using cream puffs immediately, you can store them in the freezer.

CREAM FILLING (Diplomat Cream)

• Diplomat cream is a combination of pastry cream and whipped cream.
• Add milk, half of the sugar, vanilla extract to a saucepot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once milk has boiled, turn off the heat.
• Meanwhile, whisk eggs and remaining half of the sugar in a mixing bowl for 1-2 minutes until well combined. Add flour and cornstarch and whisk until well combined.
• Slowly pour milk into the egg mixture and whisk continuously until well mixed.
• Return saucepot to the stove and bring to a boil over medium heat. The mixture will start to thicken, continue cooking and whisking until it starts to loosen.
• Turn off the heat, then add butter into pot and whisk well-combined. Transfer pastry cream to a bowl and cover with cling wrap. Allow pastry cream to cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Once pastry cream is cool, you can start making the whipped cream. In a mixing bowl (best if it's cold), add whipping cream and whisk until it forms medium peaks. Be careful not to overwhip the cream otherwise it will become grainy.
• Loosen pastry cream first by stirring it. Then fold whipped cream into pastry cream gently in 3-4 batches. Combine until smooth.

ASSEMBLY

• Using a knife, make a small 'x' cut on the underside of the cream puffs.
• Transfer diplomat cream to a piping bag, then pipe cream into cream puffs. Allow cream puffs to chill in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes before eating.