Almond dough, smooth caramel cream, white chocolate and coconut create a festive treat that is delicate, fragrant, and melts pleasantly in your mouth. These almond rolls are no-bake, making them perfect for when your oven is already busy with other Christmas goodies.
Preparation needs to be divided into several phases. Cook the sweetened condensed milk (Salko) a day in advance, and let the shaped rolls dry in the air overnight. The next day, carefully remove them from the molds, decorate with white chocolate and coconut, and fill with caramel cream.
What You’ll Need
For the almond dough:
- 160 g powdered milk,
- 140 g powdered sugar,
- 1 teaspoon honey,
- 1 teaspoon almond extract,
- 2 egg whites.
For the caramel cream:
- 1 can of caramelized sweetened condensed milk (Salko), cooked a day in advance,
- 1 softened butter.
For finishing:
- white chocolate,
- coconut.
The original recipe does not specify the exact amount of white chocolate and coconut, so adjust according to the number of rolls and your preferred decoration style.
Step-by-Step Preparation:
1. Preparing the Salko: The day before making the pastries, cook the sweetened condensed milk in the can until it caramelizes. Let it cool before using.
2. Making the dough: Combine powdered milk, powdered sugar, honey, almond extract, and egg whites to form a smooth dough. The final consistency will also depend on the size of the eggs.
3. Adjusting the consistency: If the dough is too runny and hard to work with, add a little more powdered milk and powdered sugar. Add gradually so the dough remains pliable and can be rolled out thinly.
4. Rolling out the dough: Roll the finished dough into a very thin sheet. Lightly dust the work surface and dough with powdered sugar as needed to prevent sticking.
5. Cutting and shaping: Cut the rolled dough into strips matching the width of your roll molds. Cut rectangles from the strips and gently wrap each one around a sugared mold.
6. Drying: Let the shaped rolls dry in the open air until the next day. Don’t rush this step; properly dried dough will come off the molds more easily and keep its shape.
7. Removing from molds: The next day, carefully slide the dried rolls off the metal molds. Take your time and avoid unnecessary pressure to prevent the thin, delicate dough from cracking.
8. Decorating the ends: Melt the white chocolate and dip the ends of each roll in it. Before the chocolate sets, coat them in coconut so it sticks well to the surface.
9. Preparing the cream: Mix the caramelized Salko with softened butter until you have a smooth caramel cream. The butter must be soft so it blends easily with the Salko and the filling stays lump-free.
10. Filling and setting: Fill the cooled rolls with the prepared caramel cream. Store the finished pastries in a cool place to let the cream set and firm up.
How to Adjust the Dough Consistency
The dough should be smooth, pliable, and not overly sticky when rolling. Since the density depends on the size of the egg whites, only add extra powdered milk and sugar in small amounts. Too much dry ingredient can make shaping more difficult.
Why Let the Rolls Dry Overnight
Letting them air-dry firms up the thin dough layer enough so it keeps its hollow shape after being removed from the molds. Let the rolls dry until the next day and remove them gently, as the finished dough remains fragile.
Final Tip
Fill the rolls only after removing them from the molds and decorating the ends. Once filled, store them in a cool place so the caramel cream can set. Handle gently when serving to avoid breaking the delicate almond dough.
