Větrník (choux pastry cream puff)

Větrník — a choux-pastry cream puff filled with whipped cream and vanilla custard and glazed on top; the show-stopping Czech patisserie classic.

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Ingredients

• water250 ml
• butter100 g
• plain flour150 g
• eggs4 pcs
• whipping cream250 ml
• vanilla custard200 g
• caramel100 g

Method

1. Prep your equipment. Heat your oven to 200°C fan / 220°C conventional and line two baking trays with baking paper. Fit a piping bag with a 1 cm plain nozzle — you'll need it ready the moment the choux is made.
2. Make the choux paste. Bring the water and butter to a rolling boil in a heavy saucepan, then tip in all the flour at once and beat vigorously over a medium heat for 1–2 minutes until the dough pulls cleanly from the sides and smells slightly nutty. Spread it briefly in the pan to cool for 5 minutes — you don't want to scramble the eggs.
3. Beat in the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, beating hard after each addition until fully incorporated — the paste should be smooth, glossy, and fall from a spoon in a slow, reluctant ribbon. If it's still stiff after the fourth egg, add a splash of water.
4. Pipe the Větrníky. Pipe the choux onto the lined trays as flat round spirals roughly 8 cm across, starting from the centre and working outward in one continuous coil — like a snail shell. Leave at least 5 cm between each one as they puff significantly.
5. Bake until hollow. Bake at 200°C fan for 25–30 minutes until deep golden brown and very firm to the touch — resist opening the oven for the first 20 minutes or they'll collapse. Pierce the base of each puff with a skewer immediately after baking to let steam escape, then cool completely on a wire rack.
6. Make the filling. Whip the cream to soft, billowy peaks, then gently fold through the vanilla custard until you have a smooth, lightly set cream. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star or plain nozzle.
7. Fill the shells. Slice each cooled větrník horizontally through the middle. Pipe a generous layer of the cream and custard mixture onto the base, mounding it slightly, then replace the top.
8. Glaze and plate. Warm the caramel gently until it's just pourable, then spoon or spread it over the top of each větrník so it drapes down the sides. Allow it to set for a few minutes before serving on individual plates or a platter.

Safety & hygiene Important

• Egg safety in uncooked filling. The custard and cream filling is not cooked further after assembly — use fresh eggs for the choux and keep the finished větrníky refrigerated; consume within 24 hours.
• Cooling choux before filling. Make sure the pastry shells are fully cold before filling — residual heat will melt the cream filling and make the pastry go soggy.
• Hot caramel glaze. Caramel glaze can be very hot when melted — let it cool slightly until pourable but no longer steaming before spooning it over the pastry or handling the finished puffs.