cake with walnuts and Turkish delight

To prepare a delicious and fluffy cozonac, the first essential step is to sift the flour three times. This will not only aerate the flour but also contribute to achieving a fine texture of the dough. In a saucepan, heat the milk together with the sugar and vanilla sugar, stirring constantly until all the ingredients dissolve completely. Meanwhile, prepare the yeast: dissolve it in a few tablespoons of warm milk, then add it in the center of the sifted flour. Sprinkle a small amount of flour over the yeast and let it sit for a few minutes until it starts to crack.

In a separate bowl, mix the egg yolks with a pinch of salt and grated lemon zest, then add this mixture over the flour. Pour in the warm milk and start mixing with a wooden spoon, combining all the ingredients until you obtain a homogeneous dough. The most important step now is kneading: work the dough for at least 30 minutes to develop the gluten, which will make the cozonac fluffy and airy. In this process, prepare a mixture of melted butter and oil, grease your hands with it, and continue kneading, gradually adding the oil until it is used up. Once you are done, cover the dough with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 90 minutes, or until it doubles in volume.

While the dough rises, prepare the filling: beat the egg whites with the sugar until you obtain a firm foam. Add the ground nuts, cocoa, rum essence, and lemon zest, mixing well with a wooden spoon. After the dough has risen, divide it into four equal parts. Take each piece and roll it out on the work surface, forming sheets about 1.5 cm thick. Spread the filling evenly, with the option to add pieces of Turkish delight or raisins for extra flavor. Roll each sheet tightly and braid two rolls together, forming two cozonaci.

Place them in a greased and floured baking tray, allowing them to rise again until they double in volume. Before baking, brush them with a mixture of beaten egg yolk and two tablespoons of milk. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and bake the cozonaci for about 45 minutes, or until they are golden brown and well-baked. Once they are ready, take them out of the oven, brush them with a little oil, and cover them with a clean cloth to cool slowly, thus preserving their moisture and freshness. Enjoy the cozonac warm or at room temperature, savoring its inviting flavors and fluffy texture.

 Ingredients: 1 - 1.2 kg of white flour for sweet bread, 500 ml of milk (3.5% fat), 50 - 60 g of fresh yeast, 100 g of butter, 5 packets of vanilla sugar, 250 g of sugar, 100 ml of oil, 5 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 lemon, rum essence. For the filling: 5 egg whites, 700 g of ground walnuts, 3 - 4 tablespoons of cocoa, 150 g of sugar, zest of 1 lemon, 4 rum essences, 100 g of raisins / 100 g of Turkish delight (according to preference), 1 egg for brushing.

 Tags:  eggs milk unt flour oil sugar lemon cocoa nut sweet bread