Almond Cream Rolls

The molds need a thin film of oil before the pastry goes on, and greasing them lightly is a step that's easy to rush. Just as important is letting the rolls cool completely before unmolding - warm puff pastry is still soft and clings to the metal, while cooled pastry contracts slightly and slides off. If one still resists, twist the mold gently rather than pulling the roll straight up.

You need something cone- or tube-shaped and oven-safe to wrap the 2 cm strips around, so cream horn molds work just as well as cannoli tubes. In a pinch you can shape sturdy aluminum foil into tight tubes and grease them the same way. Whatever you use, keep the diameter narrow enough that the piping tip can reach in from both ends to fill the roll.

The stabilizer is there to keep the filling stiff inside the roll, so any substitute has to do that job. Cream whipped with only powdered sugar will soften and start to weep, which makes the pastry soggy from the inside. If you skip the stabilizer, fill the rolls immediately before serving rather than in advance.

Yes - bake the shells and toast the almonds a day ahead, then cool them completely and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. The filling is the part that shouldn't wait, since the recipe is built around serving the rolls fresh. Whip the cream and pipe it in from both ends shortly before you dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Wrapping the pastry strips too tightly is the big one - they're meant to go on loosely with a slight overlap so the layers have room to puff. Pulling them out of the oven before they're properly golden after about 25 minutes at 190 °C (375 °F) leaves the inside doughy and the shell too fragile to fill. And filling the rolls too far ahead softens the crisp pastry, so pipe the cream in shortly before serving.