Mini choux buns (minivětrníčky)

Mini větrníčky from choux pastry with a butter-pudding-curd cream and chocolate glaze. About 40–45 pieces.

Ingredients

• Choux pastry: 250 ml water
• a pinch of salt
• 90 g butter
• 160 g flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 eggs
• Filling: 0.5 l milk
• 2 sachets vanilla pudding powder
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 250 g softened butter
• 125 g sugar
• vanilla sugar
• 2 teaspoons rum
• about 150–200 g full-fat curd cheese (tvaroh)
• Glaze: dark or milk chocolate (with a little butter or oil for shine)

Method

1. Bring the water, butter and salt to a boil. Off the heat, stir in the flour and baking powder until smooth, then stir over low heat until the dough cools slightly.
2. Beat in the eggs one at a time with a mixer. Pipe small 2–3 cm mounds onto baking paper (two spoons work if you have no piping bag).
3. Bake at 200 °C for about 20 minutes. Do not open the oven for the first 10 minutes.
4. Cook the pudding and cool it completely (a few hours ahead is fine). Beat the softened butter with the sugar and vanilla sugar until fluffy, add the rum, then fold in the cooled pudding and curd a little at a time until smooth.
5. Split the cooled buns three-quarters of the way through, pipe in the filling, and dip or coat the top with melted chocolate.

Lighter summer alternative: skip the buttercream and glaze — fill with sweetened whipped cream and fresh strawberry pieces, dust with icing sugar.