Favourite Potato Cream Filling

Mashed potato in a sweet pastry filling sounds like a mistake until you’ve tasted it. This recipe comes out of the Polish and Eastern European baking tradition, where leftover potatoes get reincarnated into delicate, custardy fillings for paczki, pierogi, and crescent cookies. The starch in the potato gives the filling body without the heaviness of pure cream cheese, while the dairy and egg yolks turn it into something that reads on the tongue as smooth as a French pastry cream.

The citrus is the secret to making this work. A teaspoon each of fresh orange zest and lemon zest cuts through the richness and pulls the flavor away from anything ‘potato-tasting,' transforming the whole thing into something bright, almost cheesecake-like. Sugar and vanilla round out the sweetness; the sour cream adds a subtle tang.

Use this as filling for sweet rolls, crescent pastries, danish, or as a dollop alongside fresh berries.

Pro Tips

• Use cool, plain mashed potato with no butter, milk, or salt added; that base lets the filling’s other flavors shine.
• Soften the cream cheese fully before mixing or you’ll get lumps that won’t disappear.
• Beat the filling thoroughly to incorporate air. The longer the beat, the silkier the texture.
• Bake any pastry containing this filling within a day; the moisture from the potato can make doughs soggy if held too long.

Variations

• Add 2 tablespoons of golden raisins soaked in rum for a more traditional Polish paczki filling.
• Stir in a teaspoon of ground cardamom for a Scandinavian-style spice note.
• Use as a stuffing for crepes, with a dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of warm berry sauce.