Nut Rolls

Almond Nut Roll & Poppy Seed Roll

Sweet Dough:
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup warm water (105F-115F)
2 packages active dry yeast
3 egg, room temp.
5 1/2 – 6 1/2 cups flour

Scald milk; stir in sugar, salt & butter. Cool to lukewarm.

In bowl of electric mixer, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk mixture, eggs and 5 cups of flour. Using a dough hook, mix 2-3 minutes on low speed (2 of Kitchen Aid mixer). Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough holds together.

Knead in mixer or by hand until dough is smooth and elastic, about 7-10 minutes.

Place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap all allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.

Punch down and divide into 4 pieces.

Roll each piece of dough out into a rectangle about 12″ x 14″. Spread desired filling over the dough, covering with a nice thick layer of filling.

Roll up the loaf starting on the long side. Pinch the edge to seal and press down edges. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet (2 rolls will fit on one baking sheet), cover with a clean towel and allow to rise until double.

Bake at 350F for about 40-45 minutes, until done. Brush with egg wash 5 minutes before done.

Fillings:
I used Solo brand Cake and Pastry fillings. I made 2 rolls using 1 can of poppy seed filling and 2 rolls using 1 can of almond filling.

Mom’s walnut filling:
½ cup sugar
½ lb. walnuts chopped fine
1 tsp. cinnamon
milk to make spreadable

Mrs. Chabra’s walnut filling
I found this recipe mixed in some old papers from Mom.
To Mom’s walnut filling add:
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 egg beaten
This made a more creamy filling.

Mrs. Chabra’s Poppy Seed filling
I have not made this but I don’t want to loose it. It’s on the same crumbled and ripped page as the walnut filling. [For the record, this is typed EXACTLY as it is on the “cookbook” page. I only have page 43.]

1 lb. poppy seed
1 cup sugar
juice of 1/4 lemon or 1 Tbsp. lemon extract
3 Tbsp. shortening
1 egg, beaten
(no milk)

Combine all the ingredients and cook for 5 minutes.

Sand Tarts

My sister makes these for Christmas every year and they are my favorite Christmas cookie. I love all things almond.  Morgan is going to try and make a batch for our house this year.

Adapted from Better Homes and Garden Special Interest Publications Christmas Cookies 1991.

Sand Tarts
1 cup margarine or butter
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 beaten egg white
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
sliced almonds

Beat butter in a bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 30 seconds until softened. Add half the flour, the 2 cups sugar, eggs, and lemon extract. Beat till mixture thoroughly combined, scrape sides as necessary. Stir in remaining flour.

Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 1-2 hours.

Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 2- or 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Brush tops with beaten egg white. Sprinkle with sugar mixture. Arrange 3 or 5 almond slices on each cookie. Place cookies on greased cookie sheets 1 inch apart.

Bake 375F for 8-9 minutes or till edges are lightly browned.

Make 5 1/2 to 6 dozen.

Scalloped Potatoes

Ham dinner calls for scalloped potatoes in our house. And horseradish. This is how Mom taught me to make them. It occurs to me that the reason I was thinner then was because we didn’t make so much food!

Russet Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
Butter
Flour
Cheese, optional
Milk
Salt & White Pepper to taste

A covered baking dish big enough to hold the quantity of potatoes you are making.

Grease the baking dish. Place a layer of potatoes in the bottom. Sprinkle with sliced onion, salt, pepper and flour. Dot with butter. Repeat until all the potatoes are used, but do not add flour to the top of the dish. Pour in enough milk to almost reach the top of the potatoes. If you would like cheese in your potatoes add some sliced American or shredded cheese of you choice to the middle of the gratin and top with cheese. Cover.

Bake at 350F for 1 1/2 hours until the potatoes are tender.

A 2-quart casserole (like a square corning ware dish) will hold about 6-8 medium potatoes and feed 4 potato hounds, with a little left over.

To speed the process up you can heat the milk before adding it to the potatoes or even par-boil the potatoes right in the mild, stirring constantly. A shallow baking dish will cook faster than a deep one.