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–+ servings
two slices of nut roll and a cup of coffee on white dessert plate
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Nut Rolls

Servings 12 rolls

Equipment

Ingredients

dough

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 pound unsalted butter
  • 12 ounces evaporated milk warmed
  • 2 ounces fresh (cake) yeast (6 ¾ teaspoons or ¾ ounce dry yeast)
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 8 eggs
  • 10 cups flour (more or less)

filling

  • 4 pounds walnuts
  • 1 pound unsalted butter softened/melted
  • 1 pound brown sugar (1 pound = 2 ¼ cups)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 12 ounces evaporated milk

Instructions

dough

  • Warm the evaporated milk to 110 degrees F. Stir in a half teaspoon of sugar and the yeast.  If using dry yeast, let it sit for 5-10 minutes to activate.  It's ready when it has a foamy layer on top.
  • Mix all of the dough ingredients with an electric mixer until the dough comes away from your mixing bowl clean.  Place in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

filling

  • Grind or finely chop the walnuts. I like to use the food processor, working in small batches.
  • Melt the butter. Combine all the filling ingredients in a large bowl or container. I use a rectangular container so I can mark off 12 equal portions.

assemble and bake

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Take the dough from the refrigerator and divide into 12 equal portions. Sprinkle sugar on your counter or table and roll a ball of dough in sugar until it is 12-14" by 8-10". Spread a portion of filling on it, leaving about an inch on all sides. Slowly roll from one of the long sides.
  • Tuck the ends under and place the roll seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  I place three rolls on a jelly roll pan to keep the nut rolls from spreading too much.  Sprinkle each roll with a little more sugar.
  • Bake each pan for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until golden brown.
  • Let nut rolls cool about 15 minutes before very carefully transferring them from the baking sheet to foil sheets.
  • When completely cooled, wrap tightly in foil. I hear they freeze well, but they never made it that far in our house.
  • When serving, cut each nut roll into 12 slices.  It seems kinda unfair, but one slice is a serving.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Prepare the dough the day before you intend to bake the nut rolls. Since this recipe makes 12 rolls, give yourself plenty of time on baking day.