Homemade Nut Roll

Of all the family traditions that go on in my family, this is by far one of my favorites.  There is nothing like getting together with extended family and friends and spending the entire day baking, talking, laughing and just over all having a good time.  Kids running around laughing and playing with their cousins and the wonderful smell of homemade nut roll coming from the oven. 



We have been getting together and making Nut Roll for about 15 years or so.  I remember my cousins waiting for my sister and I to get home from college before making it.  It was something that I always looked forward to after finishing finals.  One year I came straight from my college graduation that morning to make Nut Roll.  Then as we got older and started to have families of our own, the get together got larger and larger, not to mention louder and louder, but that is what makes a family get together all the more worth it.

This year I asked my cousin if I could share her recipe with my wonderful friends here on my blog.  She was more than happy to share.  She tells me that the recipe that we use is very very old.  Her grandmother gave it to her and it is the recipe we have been using ever since.  She told me that a few of the ingredients used need to be name brand, not sure why, but her grandmother said so, so do it!

This recipe is a time consuming one, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to make it.  It will make 12 loaves of Nut Roll.  The dough takes between 3-4 hours to make and rise, and baking is 30 minutes at a clip.  But don't let the time deter you from making this wonderful homemade treat.  Trust me when I tell you that once you make it, people will be asking for me.

I recently made a batch for my husband to take to work and everyone loved it.  There is just something about feeding people that I truly do love.  I love to know that what I made makes them happy and this is definitely one of those recipes.

Here is what you need:
Part One: Dough
3 packs of Regular yeast (Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast)
Water
Sugar
Milk
Crisco
Eggs
Flour
Salt

1. Mix 3 packs of yeast with 1/2 cup of warm water and 1 Tablespoon of sugar.  Mix and set aside.

2. Take 2 cups of water and 1 cup of Milk and put on the stove to warm.  DO NOT BOIL, just warm.

3. Cream 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of Crisco and then add 3 eggs.  Mix together until well combined. 

4. Add steps 1 and 2 to the mixer and mix together.

5. Add 3 cups of flour slowly to mixer.

6.  Remove from mixer and continue to add 8-10 cups of flour and 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  The dough will be very sticky at first, but as you work it, it will become more consistent. 

7.  Flour a board and continue to kneed the dough for 10 minutes.

8.  Place dough in a large bowl and set to rise in a warm place for 3-4 hours.

9.  Once the dough is done, punch it down and cut into 12 equal portions.

Part Two: Filling
3 pounds of Ground Walnuts
Egg Whites
Sugar
Warm Milk

IMPORTANT!!!  The filling is made in ONE pound batches, so when you grind and buy your walnuts, make sure you keep them separate. 

My cousin has a very old nut grinder, so her filling is very very fine.  I do not (YET) have one, so I just used my food processor. 

1. Grind one pound of Walnuts as fine or as coarse as you like and set aside.

2. Stiffen 3 egg whites and mix with 1 1/2 cups of sugar.

3. Add one pound of Walnuts and a little warm milk until you have the consistency that you desire.

Part Three: Nut Roll

1. On a floured board, roll out a piece of dough until you have a rectangle shape. 

2. Spread the filling onto the dough, making sure to get close to the edges as possible.

3. Roll the dough up into a log shape and placed on a baking sheet.

Two Nut Rolls will fit on a baking sheet.  Cover with a tea towel and set aside for 30 minutes to rise.

Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Once the Nut Roll comes out of the over, while they are still warm, brush with melted butter.

Serve warm with a bit of butter on top!

Remember this recipe will make 12 loaves, so SHARE!!

Happy Baking and ENJOY!!