Slovak Nut Roll (Kolach)

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Recipe creator's name:  Dottie Marbach

Walnut filling in jelly roll type pastry.

Preparation time:  1 hour
Total time:  1 hour, 30 minutes
Servings:  36
Ingredients:
  • Nut roll filling:
  • 2 1/4 lbs. ground walnuts
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 1/4 cups sugar
  • 3 egg whites, beaten but not stiff * save yolks for pastry
  • Nut roll dough:
  • 6 cups flour
  • 1 lb margarine, softened
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup cream or Milnot
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 sm pkg. yeast
  • 1 stick or less margarine, softened
Directions:

Filling: Beat egg whites til almost stiff.*Set aside. Grind walnuts in grinder, food processor, or blender. In small pan, heat water to boiling, add sugar (op: 1 tsp of cinnamon). When cooled, add to ground walnuts, and slowly add beaten egg whites. Mix well. Chill til ready to use.

Nut roll pastry: Blend cream, egg yolks & yeast. Set aside. Mix together flour, margarine & salt. Add cream/yolk/yeast mixture, kneading until it doesn't stick to hands. Separate into 5 balls. Chill (not less than 1 hour or more than 1 day.) Roll out on board on flour & sugar mixture. Spread lightly w/ margarine, then 1/5 of nut mixture. Roll up like jelly roll, tucking seam on bottom & closing ends. Repeat with remaining 4 dough balls. Brush w/ melted margarine. Bake at 375 for 30 min. Cool before slicing.

Notes:
My grandparents came to USA in early 1900s from Czechoslovakia. This is one of the many Slovak recipes passed down through the generations. It's a Christmas 'must have'. It freezes well!
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