Holiday desserts:: Walnut Roll

I know most of you think I am Italian, but my family is Hungarian, and this is a classic Hungarian sweet. It is called Beigli (bay-glee), and it is made with walnuts and poppy seed filling with a yeasted dough. It really has a lovely flavor.Find the recipe below. While it does take some extra prep and TLC, the end result is worth it, and it will make such a statement on your holiday table. Let me know if you give it a try!

Hungarian Walnut Roll (Beigli)

Prep time: 2 h 35 m Serves 24

For the dough, you will need:

-1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

- ½ cup of warm milk

- 5 tablespoons white sugar

- 1 cup unsalted butter, cubed

- 3 egg yolks

- 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

- 4 cups self-rising flour

For the filling, you will need:

- 1 cup whole milk- 3/4 cups white sugar

- 2 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts

- 1 lemon, zested- 2/3 cup golden raisins

Egg wash:

- 1 egg

- 1 tablespoon water

To prepare:

In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine yeast and warm milk. Once the yeast has proofed, add 5 tablespoons sugar, butter, egg yolks, and sour cream in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix well. Slowly add the flour until the dough comes together. If the dough feels too wet, add a little more flour; if it's too dry, add milk a tablespoon at a time. The dough should be moist and easy to work with.Knead on a floured surface until smooth, then form the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with a plastic wrap, and set aside for 1 ½ hours.  While the dough is resting, make the filling. Heat the milk and ¾  cups sugar in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture has a syrupy consistency about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the chopped walnuts and stir to combine. Remove the saucepan from the heat; stir in the lemon zest and raisins, and let filling cool.Once proofed (keep in mind the dough does not have a big rise), divide the dough into three pieces. Roll one piece of dough out on a lightly floured surface to form a long rectangle about a 1/4-inch thick 8’x 10”. Spread 1/3 of the walnut filling on the dough evenly, leaving about an inch of dough at each edge. Roll the dough up to form a log, and press to seal. Place the dough, seam-side down, on a parchment-lined or Silpat lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Makes 3 logs.Beat the egg with the tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush the loaves with egg wash and let rest for 1 hour in a warm place. After the dough has risen, brush it again with egg wash and put the baking tray in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (this will give the dough a shiny finish).Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake the loaves until they're a deep golden brown, about 35 to 45 minutes.Cool and slice into 1 inch slices. xx Annette