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–+ servings
Grandma's Nut Roll
Sarah Mock, savoring a glass of red wine, smiles warmly indoors near a staircase. With her long brown hair and light blouse, she exudes relaxed elegance in this candid headshot.Sarah Mock
Nut Roll was pulled from the freezer every Christmas by my Pittsburgh grandmother before our arrival. I share with you her nut roll recipe so you can add it to your Christmas Cookie platter.
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nut roll recipe
Prep Time1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Prep Time2 hours 15 minutes
servings2 loaves

Ingredients

Dough Ingredients

  • 2 1⁄4 teaspoon (2 1) instant dry yeast 1 packet instant dry yeast
  • ¾ Cup (3) Whole Milk at room temperature
  • 4 Cups (500 g) bread flour
  • 1 tsp. (1 tsp.) Kosher salt
  • 3 tbsp. (3 tbsp.) Sugar
  • ½ Cup (1) Sour Cream
  • ½ Cup (1) Butter softened
  • 1 (1) Egg

Walnut filling:

  • ¼ Cup (1) Butter (½ stick Butter,) cut into cubes
  • ½ teaspoon (1) cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. (1 tsp.) finely grated orange zest
  • pinches (pinches) ground clove
  • 1 Cup (200 g) Sugar
  • ¾ Cup (3) Brown Sugar
  • 3 Cups (351 g) walnuts finely chopped
  • 2 (2) Egg divided

Instructions

How to make nut roll dough:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the milk and sprinkle with the yeast and sugar. Allow bubbles to form. It should take about 10 minutes.
    2 1⁄4 tsp (2 1) instant dry yeast, ¾ Cup (3) Whole Milk, 3 tbsp. Sugar
  2. Add the softened butter, sour cream, eggs, 4 cups of flour and salt. Mix on low speed until a dough is just beginning to form, 1-2 minutes.
    4 Cups (500 g) bread flour, ½ Cup (1) Sour Cream, ½ Cup (1) Butter, 1 Egg, 1 tsp. Kosher salt
  3. Increase the speed on the mixer to medium and let the machine knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes more. The dough will be soft and come off the sides of the bowl.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, dust lightly with additional flour if the dough is sticky, lightly knead to form a smooth ball, then return it to an oiled bowl.
  5. Cover the bowl with a towel and set in a warm place until risen, doubling in size, 50-60 minutes.

To make the walnut filling:

  1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
    ¼ Cup (1) Butter
  2. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange zest, spices, and sugars.
    ½ tsp (1) cinnamon, 1 tsp. finely grated orange zest, pinches ground clove, ¾ Cup (3) Brown Sugar, 1 Cup (200 g) Sugar
  3. Stir in the walnuts and one egg. Allow the filling aside to cool completely.
    2 Egg, 3 Cups (351 g) walnuts
  4. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and spray a baking sheet with non stick spray or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  5. How to roll out the dough for nut roll
  6. lightly dust the surface with flour and use a rolling pin to roll one half of the dough into a ¼ inch thick rectangle, about 12-by-10 inches.
  7. With the longer side of the dough facing you spread half of the filling over the dough in an even layer, leaving a ½-inch border on the bottom edge.
  8. Roll up the nut roll lengthwise like a jelly roll, covering the filling.
  9. Pinch the edge to seal the edge, and transfer the roll to the baking sheet.
  10. Repeat the process with the second piece of dough and the remaining filling, leaving at least 4 inches between the rolls on the baking sheet. Cover the loaves with a towel and let sit until they are risen slightly, about 35 minutes.
  11. When ready to bake, brush the loaves with the egg wash and poke 5-6 holes with a chopstick all the way through the roll and transfer to the oven.
  12. Bake until evenly golden brown, 35-40 minutes.
  13. Remove and transfer to a rack to cool completely.
  14. Rolls can be sliced and eaten once cooled, but are better the next day. Use a serrated knife to cut the rolls into 1-inch-thick slices.

Nutrition

Serving: 2 | Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 108mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g

Notes

Can this recipe be doubled?

I would have doubled this recipe with success but do not triple it. The ratios in the dough get off with the dough is tripled.

Why does my nut roll crack?

Nut rolls will crack or have a 'blow out' when the dough is rolled too thin, especially on the final roll. Keep the dough just above ¼ inch in thickness. If you want to have the dough just slighlty thicker at the edge that will be the final roll arroud, that will works. Also don't let the dough dry out and be sure to use an egg wash from edge to edge.
CourseCookie Recipes
CuisineItalian
Keywordnut roll
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