Poppy Seed and Chestnut Rolls

This dessert always makes me think of my Mother. She would occasionally make this with ground nuts or poppy seeds but, she would also always buy them from the local delicatessen. My parents loved this with big mug of tea. I can still hear her moaning and licking her fingers in pleasure, sitting at the grey Formica table in our kitchen on Greenwood Avenue. 

This is a lovely soft brioche like dough and can be used for cinnamon buns or filled with anything that makes you happiest with a mug of tea!!

You will need:

• 2 tsp regular dry yeast
• 1 cup warmed milk 
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 eggs - room temperature
• 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup or 8 tbsp) melted
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp real vanilla
• 4 1/2 -5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 large can of poppy seed filling 32 oz or 900 grams
• optional can of chestnut spread with some chopped chestnuts or walnuts

I bought this can of poppy seed filling several months ago from a European speciality shop and finally got around to using it in this recipe. I also found these chestnut spreads and I used the smaller can from France in the second roll. If you buy this large can of poppy seeds filling it is enough for both rolls in this recipe. If you cannot find this product there are several recipes on making poppy seed filling on the web. It is poppy seeds, sugar, orange and lemon peel.

Step 1: add milk to a heat proof measuring cup and microwave for 1 minute to warm. Add warm milk to yeast and stir in a large bowl. Leave 5 minutes to bloom yeast.

Step 2: melt butter in same measuring cup for 40 seconds in microwave. Add eggs, melted butter, salt and vanilla.Whisk to combine.

Step 3: add 4 of the five cups of flour and mix well with a wooden spoon. Add another 1/2 cup of flour to counter and continue to fold and knead dough until the dough is no longer sticky. I found the 1/2 cup was enough  (the remaining 1/2 cup is reserved for rolling out the dough - you may not use all of it depending on the humidity in your kitchen)

Step 4: cover and let dough rest 2 hours.

Step 5: slice dough into two and roll out each into a rectangular sheet (not too thin or the filling will pop) This is a lovely, soft and easy to roll dough.

Step 6: place half the can of filling on one roll and the other half on the second roll. Leave an edge around entire sheet of dough to provide a good seal.

For something different you can create a paste with nuts and honey or I used this small jar of chestnuts & a sprinkle of walnuts (silly because I had some frozen chestnuts in the freezer that would have been perfect. Try some jam and some fresh fruit or fruit and cream cheese?? 

Step 7: Roll up and fold ends under to seal. Sprinkle with some raw sugar. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Leave to rest another 30 minutes. Bake in a 350 degrees F oven for approximately 30-35 minutes or until browned.

Let cool and slice. Can be wrapped and stored at room temperature for a few days and it is still delicious the next day.