These Polish cream horns, or rurki z kremem, are a classic sweet treat made from crisp, homemade pastry wrapped around metal molds and filled with a light mascarpone cream. They’re buttery, crunchy, and delicately sweet—perfect for holidays, parties, or just a weekend dessert.
The best part? You only need a few basic ingredients, and while the process takes a little time, the result is absolutely worth it. You can bake the horns in batches and fill them with cream just before serving.
What Are Rurki z Kremem?
Rurki z kremem are rolled pastry tubes that are baked until crisp and then filled with cream. In this version, the dough is made from flour, butter, sour cream, and a little powdered sugar—giving it a rich, tender texture with a crisp bite.
The filling is a sweet whipped cream mixed with mascarpone cheese for stability and flavor. It’s soft, creamy, and holds its shape well inside the horns. Once filled, the rurki are dusted with powdered sugar and enjoyed fresh.
Why I Love This Recipe
When I was younger, I remember buying fresh rurki from a bakery cart near our neighborhood market. The pastry was golden and the filling was so smooth and light. It felt like a bakery dessert, but simple enough to eat on the go.
Now, I enjoy making these at home from scratch. The dough comes together quickly, and it’s fun to roll the strips onto the metal molds. The cream is light but not too sweet—perfect for people who love traditional Polish baking. These horns look beautiful on a dessert tray and taste even better the next day.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions for Rurki z Kremem
All-Purpose Flour: The base of the dough. Standard wheat flour works great.
Cold Butter: Cut into cubes and worked into the flour to make a tender pastry.
Sour Cream (18%): Adds moisture and richness to the dough.
Powdered Sugar: Used in the dough and for dusting the finished horns.
Mascarpone Cheese: Gives the cream filling a thick, smooth texture.
Heavy Cream (30–36%): Whipped to add air and volume to the cream.
Vanilla: Optional, but adds a lovely flavor to the filling.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Cream Horn Molds: Cone-shaped metal forms for shaping the pastry.
- Mixing Bowls: One for dough, one for cream.
- Rolling Pin: To roll the dough thin.
- Sharp Knife or Pastry Cutter: To cut dough into strips.
- Electric Mixer: For whipping the cream.
- Piping Bag: For filling the horns neatly.
- Baking Tray & Parchment Paper: For even baking.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Homemade Rurki z Kremem
Step 1: Make the Dough
- In a large bowl, mix 400g (about 2½ cups) flour, 1 tbsp powdered sugar, 200g cold butter (cut into cubes), and 200g sour cream.
- Work the mixture by hand or with a dough hook until it forms a soft, smooth ball. If the dough feels too dry, add 1 tbsp cold water or more sour cream.
- Wrap the dough in plastic and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
Step 2: Shape the Horns
- Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C) or 365°F (185°C) with fan.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out ⅓ of the dough at a time into a thin sheet (about 1.5 mm thick).
- Cut the dough into long strips about 1.5 cm wide.
- Grease the cream horn molds lightly with butter. Wrap each strip around a mold, starting from the narrow end and slightly overlapping the edges. Leave both ends of the mold uncovered.
Step 3: Bake the Horns
- Place the wrapped molds on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for about 18–20 minutes until lightly golden.
- Let them cool for a few minutes, then carefully slide off the molds. Repeat with remaining dough.
Step 4: Make the Cream
- In a cold mixing bowl, beat 250g cold mascarpone and 250ml cold heavy cream together.
- Add 4 heaping tbsp (about 90g) powdered sugar and ½ tsp vanilla paste or extract.
- Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form and the cream holds its shape.
Step 5: Fill and Finish
- Transfer the cream to a piping bag with a star tip.
- Gently pipe the cream into each horn from the wider opening.
- Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Expert Tips for the Best Rurki
Use cold ingredients: Cold butter and sour cream make the pastry flaky.
Don’t overfill the molds: Leave both ends of the form uncovered so you can easily remove the horn after baking.
Chill the dough: This makes it easier to roll and shape.
Fill just before serving: This keeps the shells crisp and fresh.
Serving Suggestions
These cream horns are perfect for holidays, birthdays, or Sunday dessert. You can serve them on a platter along with other classic polish desserts, like these Faworki, or even Pączki dusted with powdered sugar, or add a twist by dipping the ends in melted chocolate or rolling them in crushed nuts for extra flavor and decoration.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can bake the pastry horns 1–2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container.
Storage: Once filled, keep refrigerated and eat within 2 days.
Freezing: You can freeze unfilled pastry horns for up to 1 month. Let thaw at room temp before filling.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I use puff pastry instead of making dough?
Yes, puff pastry works too and saves time. The texture will be flakier and more delicate.
Can I freeze the horns?
You can freeze unfilled baked horns for up to 1 month. Fill after thawing.
How long will they stay fresh?
Filled horns are best eaten the same day, but they can stay fresh in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Traditional Polish Cream Horns (Rurki z Kremem)
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 22 cream horns 1x
Description
Homemade Rurki z Kremem, also known as Cream Horns are crunchy pastry horns filled with light mascarpone whipped cream. It’s a traditional Polish dessert, perfect for holidays or everyday sweets.
Ingredients
For the Pastry Dough:
- 400g all-purpose flour (about 2 1/2 cups)
- 200g unsalted butter (1 stick + 6 tbsp), cold and diced
- 200g sour cream (18% fat)
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar
- Optional: 1 tbsp ice water (if dough is too dry)
For the Cream Filling:
- 250g mascarpone cheese
- 250ml heavy cream (30-36%), well chilled
- 4 heaping tbsp powdered sugar (about 90g)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla paste or extract (optional)
Instructions
- Make the Dough: Mix flour, sugar, and cold butter until crumbly. Add sour cream and knead quickly into a dough. Add a bit of cold water if needed. Form a ball, wrap in plastic, and chill for 1 hour.
- Roll and Cut: Divide the dough into 2–3 pieces. Roll each one thin (about 1.5 mm), and cut into strips about 1.5 cm wide.
- Wrap the Molds: Lightly butter the cream horn molds. Wrap strips around them from the narrow end, overlapping slightly. Leave both ends open.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F) or 185°C (365°F) with fan. Place wrapped molds on parchment-lined tray. Bake for 18–20 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool slightly and gently remove from molds.
- Make the Cream: In a cold bowl, whip the mascarpone, cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
- Fill and Serve: Pipe the cream into the cooled horns. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
If your strips are too thick, gently stretch them while wrapping.
Dough scraps can be re-rolled once if needed.
Make sure the cream is cold before whipping—it holds better.
Horns are crispiest when filled right before eating.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes + 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Polish
Nutrition
- Calories: 245 kcal
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 75mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Protein: 3g
Nutrition Information
This website offers estimated nutritional details, which may vary depending on the specific ingredients used.
Looks great and I’d love to try this. Is there a link for where one can buy the molds?
You can find cream horn molds on Amazon by searching for “cream horn molds” or “cream horn cones.” 😊 They’re inexpensive, reusable, and work perfectly for making homemade rurki z kremem.