Books > The Lady & Sons Just Desserts > Excerpts

Mother's Nut Rolls

DOUGH
5 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 1/4-ounce packages dry yeast
1 cup sour cream
4 egg yolks

FILLING
4 egg whites
2 1/2 pounds ground walnuts
1 cup sugar

GLAZE
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon water

Stir together flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl; cut in butter until mixture resembles cornmeal. In another bowl, prepare yeast according to package directions. Add sour cream and egg yolks to yeast. Blend sour cream mixture into flour mixture. Make 8 balls of dough; on a lightly floured surface, knead each ball of dough until dough is smooth but not too sticky. Cover dough and place in refrigerator overnight.

Take dough from refrigerator about 20 minutes before using. If last balls of dough become too soft, return them to refrigerator; take one out at a time. Roll dough out on granulated sugar to a 12 X 9-inch rectangle.

For filling, beat egg whites with a handheld electric mixer until frothy; add nuts and sugar. Mix well.

Spread filling over dough. Cut dough into 3 strips; roll each strip as for a jelly roll. Cut each strip crosswise into little rolls. Depending on size of each roll, you should be able to get 15 to 18 rolls from each ball.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a cookie sheet; place rolls seam side down on sheet. For glaze, combine egg and water and brush over each roll. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until light to medium brown. Remove from oven; cool for 2 to 3 minutes and remove carefully to wire rack to cool completely. These freeze very well.

Yields about 45 Rolls

Copyright © 2002 by Paula H. Deen