Any serious holiday baker included nut roll on her/his holiday baking list, so I thought it only appropriate to give nut roll its own space. I think there are as many recipes for nut rolls as there are nuts! When I was organizing recipes for my mother-in-law, I discovered 17 recipes for nut roll, each just a little different from the others. With the holidays approaching, I remember Mum discussing nut roll “this-and-that” in the lead-up to the actual baking…considering at one time to eliminate it from the list because it was so much work (gasp!). Eventually, though, Mum succumbed to the inevitability of the nut roll’s appearance on a holiday cookie tray. I mean, what self-respecting baker didn’t make nut roll? The alternating layers of pastry and nuts of a sliced nut roll is so hard to resist. Eventually Mum stopped making the large rolls and made the mini-sized nut rolls—equally delicious, equally impressive on a cookie tray and the only recipe that I have to include here.
As a not-so-serious holiday baker these days, I think making either the large nut roll or the mini nut rolls is the only confection a person has to make. Packaged in a cellophane bag tied with a beautiful ribbon and placed in a basket with a bag of good coffee beans; and you have a very nice, thoughtful gift to give a special friend. Or have nut roll on hand to serve when unexpected Christmas visitors drop in. You don’t need an entire tray of cookies when you have nut rolls. When you look at the “Nut Filling” recipe that follows, notice that you can use either vanilla or maple flavoring. My personal preference is vanilla because I find maple flavoring overpowering. Also, using purchased apricot filling instead of nuts is an equally good choice. If you’re really pressed for time but still want to make nut rolls, you could purchase just about any filling for the dough. Almost all grocery stores have various pastry fillings in addition to the nut variety. We have a wonderful Amish store near us that sells all sorts of delicious-looking fillings in clear plastic pastry-type bags that would be perfect for this recipe. Of course, then they wouldn’t be “nut rolls”, but would a nut roll by any other filling be as sweet? Absolutely!
Favorite Nut Rolls
Mix and set aside:
1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
In a large bowl, mix:
6 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Cut in as for pie crust:
2 cups shortening
Mix then add to flour mixture:
4 eggs
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
yeast mixture
Using a fork, mix together lightly and well. Refrigerate overnight. Roll out, 1/4 at a time on breadboard sprinkled with part flour and granulated sugar. Cut into 3-inch squares; spread with nut filling. Roll up; place on greased baking sheet. Bake in 375 degree oven for 12 minutes.
Nut Filling
Combine in a saucepan: 1 pound ground walnuts, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup evaporated milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla or maple flavoring. Heat until mixtures comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Mixture will be thick; cool (or use purchased apricot filling).
The next recipe, Walnut Horn Cookies, is a variation of nut rolls that moves away from the traditional yeast dough in favor of a butter-cream cheese dough. What could be better than that! Again, if you’re pressed for time, you could make the dough but purchase the filling to make it easier and less time-consuming.
Walnut Horn Cookies
1 pound butter (no substitutes), softened
2 packages (one 8 oz., one 3 oz. [I think Mum means 4 oz. here]) cream cheese, softened
4 egg yolks
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Filling
4 cups ground walnuts (about 1 pound)
5 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, divided
4 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
In a mixing bowl combine butter, cream cheese, egg yolks, and flour; beat until smooth. Shape into 1-inch balls; place in container with waxed paper separating each layer. Cover and refrigerate overnight. To make the filling combine ground walnuts, 3 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar (the mixture will be dry). In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into nut mixture. Add extracts and a few drops of water if necessary until filling reaches a spreading consistency. Place remaining sugar in a bowl; roll cream cheese balls in sugar until completely covered. Place a few balls at a time between two sheets of waxed paper. Roll balls into 2 1/2-inch circles. Gently spread about 2 teaspoons filling over each. Roll up; place seam-side down on ungreased baking sheets. Curve the ends slightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Yield: about 8 dozen.
Your house should be filling with heavenly scents if you’re baking along! –Linda
I loved Mum’s nut roll cookies and the apricot filled ones were so yummy!!! You are bringing back some great memories, Linda. Thank you for such a thoughtful gift to us all! kathy