It was in Pune, as a postgraduate student in 2018, that I first bit into a cream roll. Lacing the display case of a small breakfast stall in Baner, dishing hot plates of poha and misal, a box of neatly stacked cream rolls caught my eye. I was seeking respite from the spicy misal, deviously setting my tongue on fire. Like a saviour, the flaky puff pastry and lightly sweetened cream instantly brought down the heat and turned around that moment. Paired with a cutting chai, I was ushered into a cream roll-chai culture, which lately seems like a distant memory. Recently, I discovered Pune-style cream rolls in Bengaluru, which, to my disbelief, is actually close to my home.
A Nostalgic Bakery Staple That’s Inspired By A German Pastry
There’s something quite nostalgic about cream rolls! The flaky, cylindrical-shaped pastry filled with sweet cream is a bakery staple. It’s childlike wonder, bakery goodness and a little sweetness all wrapped in one cone. Interestingly, our desi bakery cream rolls were inspired by the German sweet, Schillerlocken.
Like a cream roll, Schillerlocken is a German conical pastry filled with sweet cream or meringue. The name is inspired by the curly wigs, typically worn by men in the 18th century Europe. It’s believed the British brought about a rendition of German pastry to India, only to be adapted as cream rolls. Today, in many households, chai time is unimaginable without the bakery staple.
While Pune has a dedicated tea time, in Bengaluru, I enjoy a kaapi time. Filter kaapi with banana chips and kodbale, typical South Indian household staples. Occasionally, there are moments I’ve craved a cutting chai and crisp cream roll. At the risk of sounding serendipitous, sometimes, what you’re looking for could be right there all along. A few weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find Pune-style cream rolls at a shop close to my home.
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Poonam Sweets In Bengaluru Sells Pune-Style Cream Rolls
Poonam Sweets, the popular Rajasthani sweet and snack shop in Bengaluru (outlets in Banashankari, Indiranagar and JP Nagar), sells Pune-style cream rolls. Not your neighbourhood bakery, but a shop selling kachoris, samosas, and mithai also has India’s beloved nostalgia treat. Tucked away on a shelf in the corner, the cream rolls sit unassumingly, perhaps, waiting for that customer who knows their worth.
Perfect conical size, super flaky, crisp, mildly sweetened cones. The ones that pair beautifully with chai or coffee. The ones that play the role of a time machine and instantly invoke nostalgia! In Bengaluru, I can attest that it’s a rarity to find good cream rolls or any cream roll for that matter. Priced at just ₹15 per piece, the cream rolls aren’t baked in-house, rather sourced from a vendor in Gujarat. Well, they also come with irony! How about that?
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Now that I’ve reached out to my fellow cream roll fans, are you also hitting up Poonam Sweets to stock up on these delights?
Where: 637, 4th Cross Rd, RBI Layout, JP Nagar 7th Phase, J. P. Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560078
When: 9 am to 10 pm
Cost: ₹15 per piece
Cover Image Courtesy: Sanjana Shenoy
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