Sweet Vanilla-Butter Snails

Dissolve yeast with 1 teaspoon sugar in tepid milk.

Sift flour in a bowl. Add egg yolks, salt, vanilla sugar and activated yeast. Knead until dough starts to hold together. Pour in melted butter and keep kneading until smooth and well combined. Cover the dough and let it rise in a lukewarm place for 40–50 minutes.

For the filling, cream together soft butter and sugars until fluffy. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and divide into two equal balls. Roll out the first ball into a thin rectangle and spread half of the butter cream on it. Roll it up and cut into 5 cm/2 inch wide pieces. Repeat the process with the other dough ball.

Thoroughly butter a rondeau pan and place the snails cut side down into the pan leaving a little space between them.

Let the snails rise for 30 minutes, then place them in the oven preheated to 180ºC (355ºF). After 30 minutes brush the top of Ferdinánd with hot cream combined with sugar, and bake for another 5–10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove pastry from the oven and turn it out onto a platter instantly. Let it cool a bit before serving.