Tender croissants
I usually make these crescent rolls with my mom, especially before the holidays or when we want something to snack on with coffee. It's the kind of recipe I know almost by heart. Part of the dough always goes into the freezer because the quantities below yield a lot, and the taste holds up well after baking. The lard and sour cream make the dough very flaky, and the walnut and jam filling is just right – nothing complicated.
Quick Info
Total time: approx. 3 hours (including chilling time)
Servings: 70-100 crescent rolls, depending on size
Difficulty: medium
Ingredients
800 g lard (room temperature)
800 g sour cream (fatty, at least 20%)
1 cube of fresh yeast (25 g)
a pinch of salt
approx. 1.4-1.6 kg type 000 flour (added gradually)
300 g ground walnuts
500 g plum jam (or other thick jam)
optional: 2-3 tablespoons cocoa for the filling
powdered sugar for rolling the crescent rolls after baking
Instructions
1. In a large bowl, mix the softened lard, sour cream, and crumbled yeast. Add the pinch of salt. Mix with a wooden spoon or by hand until it forms a smooth paste without lumps.
2. Start adding the flour gradually, mixing at first with the spoon, then with your hands. Don’t pour all the flour at once – observe the texture as you go. The dough should be soft, slightly elastic, but not sticky to your hands. At the end, gather it into a large ball.
3. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours. I've left it overnight, and it turned out just as good. During this time, prepare the filling: mix the ground walnuts with the jam until you get a thick paste. If using cocoa, add it to the mixture now.
4. Half an hour before working with the dough, take it out of the fridge to warm up a bit. This makes it easier to roll out.
5. Cut a piece from the dough (keep the rest covered in the fridge). Roll out on a floured surface into a thin sheet, about 3 mm thick. Cut into triangular shapes or small rectangles, as preferred.
6. On each triangle base, place half a teaspoon of filling, then roll towards the tip, or for rectangles, roll them up like mini rolls. You can pinch the ends slightly to prevent the filling from oozing out.
7. Place the crescent rolls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. They don’t rise much while baking, so they can be placed a bit close together but not touching.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15-20 minutes, until the edges turn slightly golden. They shouldn't be too browned.
9. Remove from the tray, and while still slightly warm, roll them in powdered sugar, then let them cool on a rack or platter.
Why I make this recipe often
They keep well, and a batch can be frozen before baking, so I always have them on hand. The dough is easy to work with and turns out flaky every time. I can quickly change the filling or adjust the sweetness based on what I have available. They’re convenient for guests or for coffee.
Tips and Variations
Tips
- Lard at room temperature helps achieve a flaky dough. I don’t use melted butter or oil.
- I add the flour gradually to see exactly how much is needed. Sometimes it varies slightly depending on the type.
- To prevent the filling from leaking during baking, I only use thick jams, preferably without too much syrup.
Substitutions
- If I don’t use fresh yeast, I add 7 g of dry yeast (1 packet).
- Lard can be replaced with butter with a minimum of 82% fat, but the texture will be slightly different.
- Sour cream can be swapped with full-fat yogurt, but again, the final texture will vary slightly.
Variations
- For simple jam crescent rolls: omit the walnuts.
- With cocoa: add 2-3 tablespoons of cocoa to the walnut and jam filling.
- You can use apricot, cherry jams, or even plain fruit spreads without added sugar.
- Walnuts can also be mixed with finely chopped Turkish delight.
Serving Ideas
- I serve them with coffee or tea, plain.
- They are great to pack for a trip or picnic.
- They can be placed in a box and gifted during the holidays.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I freeze the dough?
Yes. The dough can be portioned, wrapped well in plastic, and frozen for up to 2 months. When thawing, I leave it in the fridge overnight and then use it as in step 4.
2. How long do the crescent rolls stay flaky?
Stored in a sealed container in a cool place, they maintain their texture and taste for up to 7 days.
3. What jam is suitable?
An ideal jam is plum, fruit spread, or any thick jam without too much syrup. If it’s too runny, it will leak during baking.
4. Can they be made without walnuts?
Yes. The filling can be made with just jam or Turkish delight. I adjust the amount so it doesn’t leak during baking.
5. How do I know when they are baked?
The crescent rolls should be just slightly golden at the edges, not browned. If they are baked too long, they become harder.
Nutritional values (for one medium crescent roll, estimated)
Calories: 65-75 kcal
Protein: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 7-8 g
Fat: 4-5 g
Fiber: 0.5 g
The values vary based on the size of each crescent roll and the type of filling used. If I add more walnuts or use very sweet jam, the caloric intake increases slightly.
Storage and Reheating
Crescent rolls should be kept in sealed containers in a cool place, away from moisture. They stay fresh for several days. I don’t recommend reheating as they may dry out. If they’ve been in the fridge, I let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. They can be frozen after baking, then thawed at room temperature – the texture remains good.
Lard at room temperature plus sour cream and a cube of yeast together with salt powder are mixed until they become a paste. Then, flour is incorporated until we obtain a non-sticky and easily manageable dough. The dough is left to cool for 2 hours during which we prepare the nut and jam mixture. Half an hour before starting the preparation of the crescent rolls, the dough is brought to warmth. We roll out thin sheets, then portion them according to the desired sizes and place the nut and jam mixture on them, rolling them up. We place the crescent rolls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake them in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. After taking them out, we dust them with powdered sugar. Enjoy your meal! Cocoa can be added to the nut and jam mixture. From these quantities of ingredients, you will get a lot; you can halve the quantities, but it is important that the sour cream and lard are in the same proportion. We also kept some dough that we put in the freezer.
Ingredients: 800 grams of lard, 800 grams of sour cream, a cube of yeast, a pinch of salt, flour as needed, ground walnuts, plum jam
