Recipe: Slovenian Potica

SLOVENIAN POTICA

1/2 cup warm milk
2 ounces yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
6 cups flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream (room temperature)

Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add sugar and let stand in warm place until foamy.

Place 5 cups flour into large bowl. Add salt, sugar, butter, eggs, sour cream, yeast mixture and mix well. Add remaining flour and mix until dough separates from side of bowl. Knead until dough is pliant (about 10 minutes). If necessary, gradually add more flour. Place in greased bowl, cover with pastry cloth or cloth towel and set aside in warm place to rise until doubled in bulk (About 1 hour).

FOR THE NUT FILLING:
1 1/2 cups sweet cream
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon brandy
1 1/2 pounds walnuts, ground
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/3 cup honey
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
3 egg whites
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
3 cups yellow raisins (optional)

Scald cream with butter and pour over walnuts. Add the honey, sugar, grated lemon and orange rinds, vanilla, brandy and cinnamon. Add 1 tablespoon sugar to the egg whites and beat until stiff. Fold egg whites into nut mixture and set aside.

Roll dough on lightly floured cloth to 1/4 inch thickness. Spread nut mixture over rolled dough. Sprinkle the raisins over the nut mixture. Roll as for jelly roll. With seam edge down, plave in well-greased loaf pans. Prick tops of loaves with a fork in several places. Cover with a light cloth and set aside in a warm place to rise about 45 minutes. Brush top with beaten egg.

Bake in 325-degree oven for approximately an hour. Remove pans from oven; leave poticas in pans for about 10 minutes, then move and place on rack to cool.

Yield: 3-4, depending on size of pans.
Source: Treasured Slovenian and International Recipes