Almond rolls

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Almond rolls

Nuts and dried fruit are an ingredient in many different Azerbaijani cakes and pastries.

Almond rolls are delicious pastries derived from Azerbaijan cuisine. Azerbaijan cuisine is rich with sweets and pastries.

Preparation time: 50 min
Cooking time: 35-40 min
Serves: 6-7

Ingredients

• 425 g/1 lb 1 oz flour
• 175 g/7 oz sour cream
• 125 g/5 oz butter
• 225 g/9 oz almond
• 175 g/7 oz granulated sugar
• 10 g/ 1/3 oz yeast
• cardamom powder
• brandy
• salt

Preparation

• # Take the butter out of the fridge to allow it time to reach room temperature.
• # Put a few threads of saffron in a cup and add boiling water. Cover and leave to infuse.
• # Warm the milk to 30-35 degrees Celsius/86-95 degrees Fahrenheit.
• # Sieve the flour and salt onto a large board or into a large bowl and make a hole in the centre. Pour the warm milk, water from the saffron, yeast and egg into the hole and gradually fold in the flour from the outside.
• # Knead well until the dough is smooth and soft.
• # Cover with a clean teacloth and leave in a warm place to rise for 60 to 90 minutes.
• # While the dough is rising, prepare the filling.
• Knead fancy yeast pastry adding butter, sour cream, fine sugar powder and salt.
• Remove the skin from the almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts by heating them in a frying pan, then placing inside a clean teacloth and rubbing, but not too hard. This method of removing the skin enhances the flavour of the nuts, like roasting. Another way to remove the skin is to soak the nuts in boiling water for a few minutes and then peel the skin off. If using the latter method, leave time for the nuts to dry. Grind the nuts in a nut or coffee grinder. Mix the ground nuts with the sugar. Add the powdered cardamom.
• Stuffing: scald almond, skin and dry slightly. Grate dry almond, mix with sugar powder, pounded cardamom and add brandy. Divide ready pastry into 40 g helpings. Further make as nut rolls.