Recipe(tried): Nut Roll (Kolach)

Am sorry I have not been home, and just read your request of Dec 12th

This recipe makes 3 (yes 3) Nut Rolls. Do not omit the lemon EXTRACT. This recipe has a golden raisin-nut filling, but you may omit the raisins. The ingredients are not separately listed, so you will need to read through it to determine what you will need to make these.

Have never had a 'failure' making these and they do freeze well.

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NUT ROLL (KOLACH)

(If possible, make the dough the day before and refrigerate, if not possible, need to chill the dough at least four hours) about 2 hours before assembling remove from the refrigerator.

MELT 1/2 pound (2 sticks) UNsalted butter - let cool.

SCALD 1 cup whole milk (not 2% or skim) - remove 'scald' film, then set aside, also, to cool to lukewarm.

Take 1/3 of this lukewarm milk and add to it two packages of (active-dry) yeast, and add a pinch of sugar. If this mixture does not foam up (say within 5 min) your yeast is may not be good, pitch it out.... run to the store buy more yeast.

Boil the remaining 2/3 cup milk--adding 6 Tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon salt--stir until sugar/salt are dissolved. Add milk mixture to cooled butter. Add 1 teaspoon of Lemon EXTRACT (do not omit this from recipe)

SEPARATE 6 eggs. You can put all of the egg whites in one bowl, but separate the egg yolks into (2) smaller bowls of 3 egg yolks each. If refrigerating dough overnight, cover the yolks and whites and refrigerate also.

MEASURE 4 cups flour (all-purpose is fine)

ADD Yeast to cooled butter and milk, then 3 of the egg yolks, then add all to the flour.

MIX WELL, then knead until all ingredients are blended. Let stand for 10 minutes--knead again until smooth. Let raise until double in bulk. Put in a large clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap. PUT IN REFRIGERATOR, preferably OVERNIGHT, or for (4 hours), bring to room temperature before using.

DIVIDE INTO 3 PARTS, roll each part out thin, in an oblong shape, the width of it should not be as wide as your pan is long; you will be putting the dough (after filling and rolling) onto the baking sheets, the length of the pans.

MAKE THE FILLING:
6 egg whites
3 egg yolks (leftover from the dough)
1/2 cup sugar (granulated white)
1/2 cup honey
5 cups ground walnuts

Beat egg whites until nearly stiff, (them not you)--add sugar--gently folding in--add honey and fold in--add the 3 egg yolks and folding in--add 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract--and ground nuts; let stand for a while, then prepare raisins for the filling.

Buy YELLOW raisins (Sultanas), you will need about 1/2 cup per nut roll. Put them into a saucepan and add just enough water to come even with the top of raisins. Turn on the heat, bring to a boil, cover, turn off heat, let stand just long enough to plump them up a bit, but not fully hydrated, drain off the raisin liquid, let coool by putting into the refrigerator...never add hot ingredients to yeast dough, it kills the leavening action and 'sogs' the dough.

TO ASSEMBLE:
SPREAD THE NUT-EGG WHITE MIXTURE OVER THE ROLLED OUT DOUGHS, leaving about two-inches (2") of border all the way around. Sprinkle the raisins onto the filling. Loosely roll up, from the narrow ends, pinching edges togethers, longways, plus the ends. Place SEAM-SIDE DOWN, onto your baking sheets. Lightly cover each roll with plastic wrap--let raise until double in size. Remove plastic wrap.

BAKE in preheated oven AT 350 DEGREES--30 OR MORE MINUTES, UNTIL LIGHTLY BROWNED. You may brush with melted butter, if desired.