At the Czech cukrárna: From větrník to věneček, a sweet cheat sheet

The Czech Republic has a rich tradition of confectionery production that dates back to the early 20th century. However, during the socialist era, some of these sweet treats were forgotten as their production declined due to the prevalence of cheap butter and chocolate substitutes.

Fortunately, the tide is turning, and there is a renewed interest in honest confectionery made from high-quality ingredients. As a result, many of these classic sweets are experiencing a comeback. For this special edition of our In the Czech Kitchen column, the pastry chefs from Prague's Myšák cukrárna have selected eight iconic pastries that define the Czech dessert tradition.

František Myšák, a confectioner, opened the renowned Myšák confectionery, which has played a significant role in reviving the art of confectionery, on Vodičková street in 1904. For decades, Myšák's cakes have been favored by Prague families and esteemed Czeches, including actor Oldřich Nový and soprano Ema Destinnová. Even President T.G. Masaryk celebrated his birthdays with cakes from Myšák. Customers also enjoyed ice cream and whipped cream cups at the confectionary, alongside the cakes.

The Myšák confectionery was run by the Myšák family until the end of the Second World War, after which it was officially shut down. The biggest blow came after February 1948 when the company was nationalized, and the presence of the Myšák family was deemed undesirable. František Myšák Jr. continued to work in the industry and achieved success at international competitions, including the Expo 1958 World Exhibition in Brussels.

Fortunately, in 2017, the Ambiente restaurant group restored the original interior and revived confectionery production as close to the original as possible.

Větrník is one of the more sizeable desserts you can find in Czech pastry shops. The confection consists of two halves of choux pastry, joined together with yolk cream and caramel whipped cream, with the top half coated in caramel fondant. At the Myšák confectionery, they take the Větrník to the next level by adding salted caramel filling, making it a heavenly indulgence.

It's easy to confuse a věneček with a větrník because of their resemblance. Both are made of choux pastry; however, the věneček has a hole in the middle and is sealed with yolk cream, giving it a different texture than the pinwheel. Additionally, the wreath is smaller than the větrník, and it is typically covered with classic fondant.

This chocolate-covered sponge cake contains a boozy surprise inside. The sponge has a shaped "tip" made of caramel-chocolate cream, inside which is an eggnog-flavored liqueur (likérová špička translates to "liqueur tip or spike").

Indiánek, unlike the previous desserts, is on the lighter side. The combination of the piškot (a Czech biscuit) base and fluffy egg white "snow" makes for a delicate and airy texture. And who doesn't love a chocolate-covered treat?

Kremrole, also known as cream rolls, is a delicious pastry made with puff pastry dough, the same dough used to make strudel. The dough is shaped into tubes using a mold, then baked and filled with a light and fluffy mixture of beaten egg whites. The pastry is finished with a sprinkle of sugar, adding just the right amount of sweetness. The result is a delicate and flaky, melt-in-your-mouth flavor.

Prague balls are a traditional Czech dessert that consists of two layers of piškoty sandwiched together with caramel cream and coated in milk chocolate and peanuts. They were a staple in Czech pastry shops until the Velvet Revolution, after which they disappeared from display cases for a while. But thanks to the efforts of confectionery shops like Myšák, Prague balls have regained their pride of place on the menu of classic Czech desserts.

Laskonka is a Czech confection that's similar to a macaroon. It's made from tender coconut-flavored meringue and consists of two halves that are typically joined together using different cream varieties such as chocolate, nuts, caramel, or coffee, commonly found in pastry shops. At Myšák, you can try laskonka with a filling of buttercream and griliáš (a mixture of caramelized sugar and hazelnut powder) in both the regular and double versions.

Known in Czech as "little coffins," a rather morbid expression for describing this simple, elegant dessert that's made from nothing but sugar and eggs to form a fragile base that's decorated with whipped or a chantilly Parisian cream.

Photos of Myšák desserts by Kuba Zeman.