When I need a simple dessert with common ingredients, cream-filled rolls are among the first things I prepare. I've been making them for a few years, especially when I know someone is coming over or when I feel like filling the kitchen with the scent of vanilla. The rolls don't require complicated techniques, and the cream always turns out thick and creamy. I love that the ingredients are readily available, and I don't end up with leftover eggs or butter sitting in the fridge.
Quick Info
Total time: about 2 hours
Preparation time: 30-40 minutes
Frying and filling time: 1 hour – 1.5 hours (depending on how many molds you use at once)
Servings: about 25-30 rolls
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: classic dessert, suitable for any occasion or when you have guests
Ingredients
For the dough:
200 ml water
50 ml oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking ammonia (neutralized with a bit of vinegar)
3 tablespoons sugar
grated zest of 1 lemon
200 g flour (approximately)
oil for frying
For the cream:
1 liter milk
1 cup sugar (about 200 g)
4 packets vanilla pudding powder
For decoration:
powdered sugar
Preparation method
1. Dissolve the sugar in the 200 ml of water. It's easier if the water is slightly warm.
2. Add the oil, egg, grated lemon zest, and the ammonia neutralized with a bit of vinegar.
3. Gradually incorporate the flour. Knead until you have an elastic dough that is easy to shape. The dough should not be too hard, but also not sticky.
4. Divide the dough into small pieces and roll each piece out on a floured surface. Cut into long strips, about 1 cm wide.
5. Take each strip and spiral it around special molds for rolls (cylindrical metal molds). If you don't have enough molds, work in batches.
6. Heat oil in a pot with higher sides (it doesn't need to be a deep frying bath, but the rolls should float). The oil should be hot before you add the rolls.
7. Fry the rolls on the molds, turning them on all sides until they turn golden brown. Don't overcrowd the pot so you can easily turn them.
8. Remove the rolls onto absorbent paper and let them cool slightly before taking the molds out.
9. For the cream, heat the milk with the sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
10. Gradually add the pudding powder, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Cook until the cream thickens and becomes smooth.
11. Let the cream cool slightly, but not completely, so you can easily pour it into the rolls.
12. Fill the rolls with cream using a teaspoon or a piping bag. Don't fill them while they are hot, but also don't let the cream set too much.
13. Once they have cooled completely, sprinkle powdered sugar over them.
Why I make this recipe often
Because the ingredients are usually on hand, it doesn't require advance planning. They are great with coffee or when unexpected guests arrive. You can make them with any pudding flavor. There aren't many dishes to wash, and the rolls last a few days.
Tips and variations
Tips
If the dough is too soft, add a little more flour, but be careful not to make it too hard.
The roll molds release more easily if you grease them with a drop of oil before placing the dough.
Don't fill the rolls with cream while they are warm, as the dough can become soggy.
If you don't have many molds, work in batches, removing the fried rolls and reusing the empty molds.
Substitutions
Ammonia can be replaced with baking soda, but the texture won't be as crispy.
The lemon zest can be omitted or replaced with orange for a different flavor.
Vanilla pudding can be substituted with chocolate, caramel, or pistachio pudding if you want different flavors.
Variations
You can add a tablespoon of cocoa powder to the dough for a slight chocolate flavor.
For a more festive appearance, decorate with chocolate shavings over the exposed cream.
Serving ideas
You can place them on a platter and decorate with powdered sugar just before serving.
They pair well with coffee or tea.
If there's leftover cream, you can put it in small cups in the fridge as a separate dessert.
Frequently asked questions
1. What can I do if I don't have roll molds?
You can improvise cylindrical shapes from tightly rolled aluminum foil. They won't have exactly the same effect, but they work in a pinch.
2. Can I bake the rolls in the oven instead of frying them?
This recipe is for fried rolls. The texture differs if you bake them. I do not recommend this for this dough.
3. What pudding should I use if I can't find vanilla?
You can use any type of instant pudding (chocolate, caramel, pistachio). The quantity and method of preparation do not change.
4. Can the rolls be made in advance?
Yes, the fried dough keeps well for 1-2 days, but it's best on the first day. The cream can be made in advance and stored in the fridge.
5. Do they stay crispy after filling?
Fried rolls remain crispy for a few hours after filling, then they soften slightly from the cream, but they don't become completely soft.
Nutritional values
Estimate for one filled roll:
Calories: approx. 110 kcal
Carbohydrates: 18 g
Fats: 3 g
Proteins: 2 g
Values are approximate and can vary depending on the size of the rolls and how much cream you use in each.
Storage and reheating
Filled rolls can be stored in the fridge, in a closed container, for up to 3 days, but the base becomes softer after the first day. If you want them to stay crispy, store the unfilled fried rolls at room temperature and fill them with cream before serving. Reheating is not recommended – they should be eaten cold or at room temperature.
Quick Info
Total time: about 2 hours
Preparation time: 30-40 minutes
Frying and filling time: 1 hour – 1.5 hours (depending on how many molds you use at once)
Servings: about 25-30 rolls
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: classic dessert, suitable for any occasion or when you have guests
Ingredients
For the dough:
200 ml water
50 ml oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking ammonia (neutralized with a bit of vinegar)
3 tablespoons sugar
grated zest of 1 lemon
200 g flour (approximately)
oil for frying
For the cream:
1 liter milk
1 cup sugar (about 200 g)
4 packets vanilla pudding powder
For decoration:
powdered sugar
Preparation method
1. Dissolve the sugar in the 200 ml of water. It's easier if the water is slightly warm.
2. Add the oil, egg, grated lemon zest, and the ammonia neutralized with a bit of vinegar.
3. Gradually incorporate the flour. Knead until you have an elastic dough that is easy to shape. The dough should not be too hard, but also not sticky.
4. Divide the dough into small pieces and roll each piece out on a floured surface. Cut into long strips, about 1 cm wide.
5. Take each strip and spiral it around special molds for rolls (cylindrical metal molds). If you don't have enough molds, work in batches.
6. Heat oil in a pot with higher sides (it doesn't need to be a deep frying bath, but the rolls should float). The oil should be hot before you add the rolls.
7. Fry the rolls on the molds, turning them on all sides until they turn golden brown. Don't overcrowd the pot so you can easily turn them.
8. Remove the rolls onto absorbent paper and let them cool slightly before taking the molds out.
9. For the cream, heat the milk with the sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
10. Gradually add the pudding powder, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Cook until the cream thickens and becomes smooth.
11. Let the cream cool slightly, but not completely, so you can easily pour it into the rolls.
12. Fill the rolls with cream using a teaspoon or a piping bag. Don't fill them while they are hot, but also don't let the cream set too much.
13. Once they have cooled completely, sprinkle powdered sugar over them.
Why I make this recipe often
Because the ingredients are usually on hand, it doesn't require advance planning. They are great with coffee or when unexpected guests arrive. You can make them with any pudding flavor. There aren't many dishes to wash, and the rolls last a few days.
Tips and variations
Tips
If the dough is too soft, add a little more flour, but be careful not to make it too hard.
The roll molds release more easily if you grease them with a drop of oil before placing the dough.
Don't fill the rolls with cream while they are warm, as the dough can become soggy.
If you don't have many molds, work in batches, removing the fried rolls and reusing the empty molds.
Substitutions
Ammonia can be replaced with baking soda, but the texture won't be as crispy.
The lemon zest can be omitted or replaced with orange for a different flavor.
Vanilla pudding can be substituted with chocolate, caramel, or pistachio pudding if you want different flavors.
Variations
You can add a tablespoon of cocoa powder to the dough for a slight chocolate flavor.
For a more festive appearance, decorate with chocolate shavings over the exposed cream.
Serving ideas
You can place them on a platter and decorate with powdered sugar just before serving.
They pair well with coffee or tea.
If there's leftover cream, you can put it in small cups in the fridge as a separate dessert.
Frequently asked questions
1. What can I do if I don't have roll molds?
You can improvise cylindrical shapes from tightly rolled aluminum foil. They won't have exactly the same effect, but they work in a pinch.
2. Can I bake the rolls in the oven instead of frying them?
This recipe is for fried rolls. The texture differs if you bake them. I do not recommend this for this dough.
3. What pudding should I use if I can't find vanilla?
You can use any type of instant pudding (chocolate, caramel, pistachio). The quantity and method of preparation do not change.
4. Can the rolls be made in advance?
Yes, the fried dough keeps well for 1-2 days, but it's best on the first day. The cream can be made in advance and stored in the fridge.
5. Do they stay crispy after filling?
Fried rolls remain crispy for a few hours after filling, then they soften slightly from the cream, but they don't become completely soft.
Nutritional values
Estimate for one filled roll:
Calories: approx. 110 kcal
Carbohydrates: 18 g
Fats: 3 g
Proteins: 2 g
Values are approximate and can vary depending on the size of the rolls and how much cream you use in each.
Storage and reheating
Filled rolls can be stored in the fridge, in a closed container, for up to 3 days, but the base becomes softer after the first day. If you want them to stay crispy, store the unfilled fried rolls at room temperature and fill them with cream before serving. Reheating is not recommended – they should be eaten cold or at room temperature.