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Place a bowl on your mixer and fit the paddle attachment to it.
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Put your eggs next to the mixer.
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Mix the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt in a 2-quart saucepan.
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Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
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Stirring constantly, add the flour all at once, and stir quickly and without stopping until the flour is thoroughly incorporated.
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Then continue to cook and stir for another 45 seconds, or until the dough comes into a ball and a light film of paste coats the bottom of the pan.
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Immediately scrape the dough into the bowl of your mixer, and turn the mixer on low speed.
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Let it mix for a minute or two - the first few turns of the paddle will put up a cloud of steam.
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That's fine.
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Just let it mix until no more steam is coming off the dough.
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Then add the first egg, letting it mix in fully before adding the next one.
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Keep the mixer on low speed - you don't want to incorporate too much air into the paste.
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Scrape down the bowl every 2nd egg just to make sure everything is mixing together.
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Before adding the 6th egg, stop the mixer and check the consistency of the dough.
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You will know it is perfect if, when you lift the paddle, it pulls the dough with it, then the dough breaks away and forms a peak that slowly bends down.
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If the dough is too thick and doesn't form that peak, add the last egg.
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The dough is now ready to be used to make eclairs, cream puffs, profiteroles, or any other recipe calling for choux paste.
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It should be used immediately.
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NOTES FOR MAKING CHOUX PASTE SUCCESSFULLY: The liquid must be heated to a full boil.
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Add the flour all at once and stir madly until every last speck of flour is incorporated, then keep cooking and stirring some more - it's this last bit of cooking that will take the raw taste out of the flour; you'll know you are ready to quit when the dough forms a ball around your wooden spoon and the bottom of the pan is covered with a light film of paste.
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Stop mixing when you still have one egg left to add and inspect the dough.
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Depending on the condition of the flour, the room, or the moods of the pastry gods, the dough may or may not need the last egg.
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The dough is finished when you lift the paddle and it pulls up some dough that then detaches and forms a slowly bending peak - if you don't get a peak, add another egg.
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And relax.
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Even if you can't decide what to do, add the egg - you will still get a good puff.
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Use the paste while it is warm.
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It cannot be kept.
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Unfilled puffs or eclairs can be well wrapped and frozen for a few weeks.
