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Pishky (Russian Rollkuchen)



This is my mother Nadia's version of Rollkuchen that my family grew up with. We call them Pishky. There are some variations in the ingredients.


  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 cups sour cream
  • 3 eggs (beaten)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • vegetable oil to fry the Pishky in


  1. Make well in center of flour. Mix sour cream, beaten eggs, salt, sugar, and orange juice.
  2.  First blend the soda in a tablespoon of hot water then add it to the wet ingredients. Mix into flour and knead the dough.
  3.  Roll out the dough on a floured surface. Cut in strips. Then cut strips on the diagonal about 4″ long and cut a slit in the center of the 4″ length. 
  4. Fold the top of the piece through the hole and up again. Fry in oil until golden brown on both sides.
  5.  Before serving sprinkle with powdered sugar.


My kids loved to have these hot out of the pan when they would come in from playing in the snow.
These are great right out of the pan and for a few hours but after that, they aren’t as wonderful. Make small batches that you’ll gobble up quickly is my recommendation. The other thing you can do if you have more than you want to eat right away is to make a french toast casserole for breakfast with the leftovers.

23 comments:

  1. Well aren't out heritage traditions all so similar, yet often so mixed up! We grew up calling these rollkucken. These were strickly served on the hottest summer day with rogers golden syrup (Canadian product) for dipping in and watermelon on the side. My mother referred to pershky as small little fruit pie bundles. My background is Canadian prairie Mennonites that originally came to Canada through Russian and even through the States. Now, I have married a husband whose family heritage is 100% Russian. I will have to ask his mother what she would have called these yummy treats and if she would serve them in summer or winter. Old tradtions can be so fun! I really enjoy reading your russian recipes, because it helps me connect with my husbands family. Thanks, Ellen!

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    1. Lorrie: That's so cool! My family is Mennonite-by-way-of-Russia too, and growing up we would do the same. At the height of summer, we'd all get together for a pool party and have watermelon and "krullers", as we'd call them. I was 3 y.o., and they'd let me help cut them out and dust them with powdered sugar. They were so good. I miss this tradition.

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  2. I can't see eating these with borscht but rather after as dessert.
    the orange in there is certainly new, and then the icing sugar sprinkled all over. I have no doubt that these are soooooo yummy. Fresh is always best that is for certain, and i bet they don't stick around for long.

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  3. Oh Ellen, yummy recipe for pishky/rollkuchen! My Mom used to make rollkuchen to have with soup in winter and with watermelon in summer.
    Adding orange juice is new to me. I have had them with icing sugar though and it's very good.

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  4. Rullkuchen are an absolute family favorite in summer with cold juicy watermelon and/or Roger's Golden syrup!! This variation looks wonderful and I will definitely try them...thanks for sharing this unique part of our Mennonite/Russian heritage!

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  5. Mmmm, I haven't made these for years, but the kids have the next two days off school, so I think this might be perfect timing. :) Love the addition of the orange juice, too. That sounds really good.

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  6. Wow! These look and sound so much like our German "Grebbel" (sp.?) which we make for Good Friday (meatless dishes) and serve alongside Schnitte Suppe (dried fruit soup served hot or cold). We dunk the grebbel in the soup (which may have a dollop of sweet cream or sour cream added) and they are oh-so-good! They never last, even though my sister and I make hundreds to divide among our families.
    I look forward to drizzling some with Roger's Syrup this year (Dad's favourite)!
    Thanks!!!

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  7. Wow! These look and sound so much like our German "Grebbel" (sp.?) which we make for Good Friday (meatless dishes) and serve alongside Schnitte Suppe (dried fruit soup served hot or cold). We dunk the grebbel in the soup (which may have a dollop of sweet cream or sour cream added) and they are oh-so-good! They never last, even though my sister and I make hundreds to divide among our families. They have always been our favourite fritter / doughnut.

    I look forward to drizzling some with Roger's Golden Syrup this year (Dad's favourite)!
    Thanks!!!

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  8. wow, who wouldn't love some of those with some hot cocoa as a defrost method! look amazing!! thanks for sharing! love it.
    -meg
    @ http://clutzycooking.blogspot.com

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  9. Oh Fine! Now I'm craving these!!

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  10. I love seeing how similar our foods are to the real Russian foods. You are like our in house expert in the field.
    They look just delicious.

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  11. These sound and look delicious!!! Thanks for sharing

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  12. Growing up in southern MN we always had these in summer, sprinkled with salt and served with Watermelon. Even thought I'm German, I was surprised when I got a book on Russian Mennonites that all the foods I grew up with were Russian.

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  13. There are so many variations of this recipe...that we know as rollkuchen. And I haven't met one I don't like! We had something very similar in Kenya on our recent visit...called mandazi.

    They look yummy, Ellen.

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  14. My husband's family enjoys a treat that's almost identical to this one. His mom grew up in an Amish home and they were known there as "fat cakes". We have them every spring and eat them with maple syrup as well. It's not hard to see where they get their name, but they're oh so good! I grew up in a German-Mennonite community and have heard of rollkuchen so often but never had them. It's so interesting to know that they're that similar to what I'm enjoying here in Indiana Amish country.

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  15. Mmmmmmmmmmm, rollkuchen and watermelon! Summer feast! My mouth is watering.

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  16. OMG I've been wanting to know how to make this for so long! I just had no idea how to spell it so I couldn't find a recipe. My grandma used to make these for us when we were kids.

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  17. Ellen......I love 'the twist' to this recipe......with the OJ and how you twist them.....I must give them a try. You have a very cute little helper by your side.

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  18. Wow! These reminded me of a recipe that my German Grandmother used to make (although she called them something different), so I tried them this evening. My husband, kids, kids' friends and our neighbour were blown away! They're delicious! I'm not Mennonite, but my family heritage comes from some of the same areas in Europe, so I think that we have many dishes in common. Love your site, and plan to try many more recipes! :)

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  19. What's the best temperature to fry this at and about how long does each side take?

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  20. Anonymous... put a few kernels of popcorn into your oil and once they pop your oil is ready. I think it's about 350F ... the length of time to fry would depend on how thin you roll your pastry... but if you break open one of the first ones to see.. you will soon know if they are getting done.

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  21. These look like grebels to me. Or as my grandpa called them oma-drep-te-hosen (I'm spelling it like he said it) which loosely translates to "old man's pants". I think they resemble the buckles. I LOVE THESE!

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  22. These are what my mother made every Easter and Christmas Eve..Polish chrushiki. Didn't use orange juice,though. A bit of lemon juice instead. I make them now with soy milk because I'm lactose intolerant, but there's no difference in taste. Have to be quick with the frying. As soon as they get light brown, they need to be turned,and then removed because they get a little darker after they're out of the oil.

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