Holiday Cooking, Blogger Style: Nut Rolls

Overwhelmed with Joy is graciously inviting us to "gather" at her place and share our best holiday recipes. I think this is a great idea and am looking forward to trying out some tried and true recipes from my friends in Bloggyland.

This is one of my favorites, and I must admit, I take some pride in having mastered this recipe. See, I remember my gram always in search for the perfect nut roll recipe. Either the dough wasn't to her liking or the filling left something to be desired. Her old cookbook is filled with cuttings and scraps of recipes. Of course, we (except for my allergic-to-nuts sister) willingly tried them all but I never managed to learn which she considered "the one." Several years ago, a co-worker brought in some nut roll his mother made and I shamelessly begged the recipe from him. So here it is, compliments of my friend Nick, and as good as any Gram ever made.

Nut mixture: Combine 1-1/2 lbs. ground walnuts, 2 cups sugar and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Add just enough hot milk to make a paste. Set aside.

2 envelopes yeast
1/2 cup warm milk
1/2 lb. butter, softened
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup sour cream
6 cups flour

Combine yeast with warm milk, allow to sit. Combine butter, salt, sugar, eggs and cream. Add part of the flour, then yeast/milk mixture. Mix in remaining flour. Blend well. Divide into 4 equal parts. One at a time, roll into 12x8 rectangle. Spread with nut mixture to within 3/4" of edges and roll up from long side, sealing edges with a bit of water and tucking ends under. Transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover lightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm (80 deg) oven for about an hour. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle tops with sugar if desired. Bake at 350 deg. for about 35-40 min.

For lots more great recipes, click on the graphic above.