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Schaumrollen

(Schillerlocken = cream rolls)

From the Kitchen of Anne Dreer

Comment: I usually make the cream rolls for special occasions like weddings, first Communion or Confirmation and of course Christmas.

The ingredients are very simple, but you will need a good-sized dough board measuring at least twenty-four by fifteen inches. Mine is a 2/3” piece of plywood from a building supply store. I used Crisco shortening cold from the fridge. If using butter it should be at a cool room temperature otherwise you won't be able to roll it out at an even thickness

The 5 or 6 inch metal tubes are available at baker's specialty shops or from Italian stores. They call them cannoli tubes. Italo's in Kitchener, Ontario sells them at a reasonable price. They can be straight or tapered (narrower at one end). Some stores carry pointed metal horns

4 cups all-purpose flour (4¼ cups US measure)
1¾ cups water
4 egg yolks
1½ tablespoons vinegar
½ teaspoon salt (optional)
1 pound Crisco shortening OR 1 pound unsalted butter
½ cup flour

This recipe makes between 70 and eighty Schaumrollen four to five inches long.

click images to enlarge

Stir flour, water, vinegar and egg yolks (salt) in a bowl to make a smooth dough (by hand or with a mixer using a dough hook). If mixing by hand, let it rest for 5 or 10 minutes, then work it again--it should come off the sides of the bowl nicely. Set it aside.

While dough is resting, unfold the parchment paper of the Crisco (butter) and cover the shortening with flour and flatten it into a 7x10 inch rectangle on the parchment. Press the flour on both sides. The thickness should be even.

The dough should be easy to handle by now. Roll it out on the floured dough board to double the size of the shortening, with an even thickness. Place the shortening on half of the dough,

then fold the other half over it.

Turn the folded dough so the long (pinched) side of the rectangle faces you. Cover with a cloth or wax paper and let rest ten or fifteen minutes.

Roll the dough out again, to make a rectangle about 22x10 inches. Always from the center toward the edges, pressing down lightly. Do not stretch it. As you roll it the shortening should be getting more spread out inside the dough. Brush off excess flour from the dough. This time fold one third of the rectangle toward the center from the right side to the left.

Then fold the other part over to make it triple thickness. Turn the dough clockwise so the long side is again facing you, the open top layer towards you.

This is considered one turn. Repeat the same procedure three more times, waiting a little longer between foldings. It will take longer for the layers to stick together, they must stick or else they shift as you roll them out. If your kitchen is very hot, put the dough on a smaller floured board and put it in the fridge.

About half an hour after the last "turn" you can either chill the dough, or part of it for a few days, freeze it, or start making the Schaumrollen.

The baking pans and metal tubes do not need to be greased.

I like to cut the pastry with a heated knife, but it is not absolutely necessary. The flaky layers just stay more flaky. If not heating it, use a thin sharp knife OR heat a big heavy knife (doesn't need to be sharp) on a stove burner briefly.

Cut one fifth off the chilled dough, and carefully roll it out evenly, as thin as you can get it to make a rectangle about 18x12 inches. Do not stretch it. (Heat the knife again) and cut about one inch strips by 12 inches. You should get more than 15 strips. If the dough was stretched it will shrink when you cut it.

Start rolling them like a spiral around the tubes, overlapping by half the width of the strip. Try not to disturb the edges that's where the layers or flakes will be visible. If you don't have enough tubes for all the strips cover the remainder so they don't dry out.

Bake the at 400 degrees until light golden. Check after ten minutes.

Let them cool for a few minutes, and then remove them by slightly twisting them off the tubes. If I'm in a hurry I use kitchen tongs to grip the hot metal tubes and twist the pastry off carefully. Let the tubes cool before using them again. No need to wash them until all are done. I usually wash them and then put them into the still hot oven to dry.

Fill the cooled Schaumrollen with whip-cream or any whipped topping or custard. Dust with vanilla flavoured icing sugar.

The same dough can be used for Napoleons = Krempita. Roll out 1/5 of dough as above, bake in one piece on cookie sheet. Bake two sheets. When cooled, spread cold custard (pie cherries mixed in) on one sheet. Put the other baked pastry on top. Dust with icing sugar. Chill for a couple hours before cutting into squares.