The whiff of cinnamon and freshly baked bread tantalises the senses while walking down the Golden Lane in Prague. The seductive aroma is emanating from the unassuming window of a bakery. The woman behind the counter is rolling a fat length of dough onto a wooden stick to form a cone-crescent, which like a croissant but not a croissant. She places the stick carefully in an open oven and splashes some mascarpone on top.
An introduction to trdelnik, the Czech version of kürtoskalács, a similar pastry from Transylvania (now part of Romania) is likely to be unforgettable. The name comes from the Czech-Slovak word trdlo, referring to the wooden tool used to wrap the dough during the baking, giving the cake its traditional hollow shape. It is also called a ‘Chimney Cake’. Legend goes that a Hungarian general called József Gvadányi, had brought a cook to Skalica (in Slovakia) who brought with her the recipe.
The rolls come in different varieties, filled, semi-coated, coated and sprinkled. The filling consists of whipped buttercream with cocoa powder and vanilla, but there can be more varieties if you so wish. The sprinkled varieties are coated with melted butter mixed with honey and topped with sugar, hazelnuts, almonds, cinnamon, raisins, cocoa powder, or vanilla.
The Czechs have a penchant for rolling their desserts, as can be noticed in the bakeries of Horické town. Handmade Horické trubirky (tubes) are wrapped in legends dating back more than 200 years. One captivating tale recounts that in 1812, Emperor Napoleon’s personal chef revealed the secret recipe for these sweet somethings to Lícková, a local cook, as payment for treating his injuries. Crafted from two twisted thin wafers, filled with a creamy filling available in various flavours, these rolled delights have a crunchy and porous texture.
Made from wheat flour, powdered milk, sugar, water, egg yolks, and vegetable oil, locals recommend dipping the wafers in a cup of warm, melted chocolate, or whipped cream for the best effect.
Rocking is Rolling, indeed.