Diós Kalács / Nut Rolls

Credit: Marton Mama

Place 4 cups flour and 1 cup butter (cut up) into food processor. Using steel blade, cut butter into flour until it resembles cornmeal.
Transfer flour into a large mixing bowl. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt into flour mixture. Make a well in the center of the flour and set aside.
In a separate bowl, slightly beat egg and yokes and vanilla with fork and set aside. (Reserve whites for filling)
Warm 1 1/2 cups of milk to 120* Blend 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon yeast in separate bowl. Slowly add sugar/yeast into warm milk, stir gently.
Pour egg/vanilla mixture in the center of the well in flour.
Pour milk, sugar/yeast mixture into the center of the flour on top of the egg mixture and let set for 10 to 15 minutes until yeast turns foamy (resembles milk shake on surface)
Either by hand or using a mixer with a dough hook, work flour and liquids into dough.
While kneading dough, gradually add enough of the remainder flour so that dough does not stick to sides of bowl or hands.
Knead dough until smooth.
Lightly oil or butter bowl. Place dough into the center, turning dough over so that both sides are lightly coated with oil/butter.
Cover with saran wrap and clean dry dish towels and set aside for approx. 30 minutes to rise.

Finely grind 2 pounds of walnuts and place in a large mixing bowl.
Add sugar and lemon rinds to ground walnuts, mix and set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat 2 egg whites till it peaks. Add vanilla and milk, stir gently into nut mixture to form a soft spreadable paste. (milk amount may vary)
Divide paste into 6 equal portions, approx. 1 cup portions ( I usually just place separated portions on a sheet of wax paper and work with it from there.)
When dough has doubled in size remove from bowl. On lightly floured surface, cut dough into 6 equal parts.
Slightly knead into small loaves. Roll out each dough portion into a thin rectangular shape.
Spread nut paste evenly over surface and roll like a jelly roll.
Place each roll width wise rather than length wise, lightly buttering cookie sheet area where dough will rise.
Place each roll on cookie sheet / 3 rolls per cookie sheet.
In a separate bowl, beat 1 egg.
Lightly pierce rolls with fork across top from one end to another about 1 inch apart.
Using a pastry brush, brush rolls with egg to coat complete surface.
Let rise for approx. 30 minutes in a draft free area.
Before placing them in a 350* oven, brush once again with egg.
Bake for approx. 30 minutes till it is browned evenly.
Cool on wire rack.