Choux wreaths with vanilla cream

Classic věnečky from choux pastry with vanilla buttercream and rum glaze. About 20 pieces.

Ingredients

• Choux pastry: 320 ml water
• 100 g butter
• a pinch of salt
• 235 g flour
• 4–5 eggs, added gradually
• Vanilla buttercream: 500 ml milk
• 2 sachets vanilla pudding powder
• 5 egg yolks
• 150 g sugar
• 250 g softened butter
• 2 tablespoons rum (optional)
• Rum glaze: 300 g icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons rum
• 3 tablespoons hot milk

Method

1. Bring the water, butter and salt to a boil. Take off the heat, stir in all the flour, then cook 2–3 minutes on low heat until it pulls into a ball.
2. Cool until just warm. Beat in the eggs a little at a time until the dough falls from a spoon in a thick ribbon.
3. Pipe 6–7 cm rings onto baking paper. Bake at 200 °C for 10 minutes without opening the door, then reduce to 180 °C for another 15–25 minutes until deep golden and dry to the touch.
4. Cool completely, then ideally leave uncovered for a few hours or overnight so the shells stay crisp.
5. Cook the pudding with the milk, sugar and yolks, stirring constantly, until thickened (do not let it boil hard once the yolks are in). Cool completely, pressing cling film onto the surface.
6. Beat the softened butter until fluffy, then add the cooled pudding a spoonful at a time until smooth and light. Stir in the rum.
7. Whisk the icing sugar, rum and hot milk to a smooth, pourable glaze.
8. Slice the rings horizontally. Pipe the buttercream generously into the bottom half, replace the top, and dip the top in rum glaze. Let it set.

Lighter variant: skip the rum glaze, use a plain pudding cream instead of buttercream, and top with whipped cream and a dusting of icing sugar.