Vanilla maritozzi

Turn the risen brioche dough (made the night before for a slow rise) out of the bowl and knock out some of the gas.

Weigh 75 g portions with a scale and bench scraper onto a lined baking sheet, about nine; bake the rest of the dough as a small loaf.

Flatten each portion, gather the ends into a bundle, flip smooth side up, then cup a hand like a claw and drag the dough across the surface to tighten the gluten into a tall round; use the scraper if the dough is too soft.

Space the buns evenly on the sheet, cover, and proof somewhere room temperature or slightly warm 45 minutes to an hour, until nearly doubled and very puffy.

Heat the oven to 350F. Beat one large egg and brush on a thin, very gentle egg wash so the buns do not deflate.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until deep golden brown and shiny; these small buns took about 15 minutes plus one or two more. Cool before filling.

Syrup: warm half a cup of Demerara sugar, half a cup of water and a pinch of salt on the stove until the sugar dissolves.

Pour into a glass measuring cup, then add a teaspoon and a half of vanilla extract and a tablespoon of rum off the heat, so the vanilla is not cooked.

Cream: equal parts mascarpone and heavy cream with a pinch of salt and vanilla paste; whip on low, increasing speed gradually as it thickens, to soft peaks.

Add a couple of tablespoons of powdered sugar and whip to firm peaks without overwhipping.

Fill a pastry bag and twist it closed.

Cut each bun slightly off centre down toward the centre line but not all the way through, about a three-quarter-inch opening; dab the cut sides with the syrup, which helps prevent staling.

Pipe cream into the opening, over-pipe generously, and smooth and scrape off the excess with an offset spatula so it looks part of the bun.

Dust with powdered sugar and serve.