Vanilkové venčeky: choux rings with vanilla-rum cream

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Cook the dough

   Bring the water and Palmarin to a boil. Add the flour and stir until a white film forms on the bottom of the pan. Do not just stir the flour into the boiling liquid; cook the dough thoroughly. Let the dough cool.

2. Incorporate the eggs

   Work the 8 eggs into the cooled dough one at a time. Add each successive egg only if the dough is still quite thick.

3. Bake the rings

   Using a piping bag, pipe small rings onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 200 °C (400 °F) for about 20–25 minutes. Do not open the oven during baking. Once the rings are fully puffed and golden, remove one and check that the underside is firm enough.

4. Split the rings

   Split the rings horizontally while they are still warm. They soften slightly as they cool and become harder to cut.

5. Make the cream filling

   Cook the milk, sugar, and Zlatý klas into a thick pudding, then let it cool in the refrigerator. Beat the rum into the cooled pudding. Whip the cream to stiff peaks, then beat the two mixtures together until well combined.

6. Fill the rings

   Using a piping bag, pipe the cream onto the bottom halves of the rings. Cover with the top halves and dust with powdered sugar.

   Recipe by: Ružena Farkašová

Tip: Pipe the rings well apart on the baking sheet, as they expand considerably in the oven. Fill them only on the day you plan to serve them, since the moist filling gradually softens the pastry.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Vanilkové venčeky z odpaľovaného cesta s rumovým krémom