These cottage cheese and walnut rolls are the kind of bake that disappears from the plate before it cools. A tender, buttery cottage cheese dough wraps around a sweet, crunchy walnut filling, and a brush of beaten egg gives every roll a glossy golden crust. They belong in good company with our puff pastry squares with cottage cheese and fruit and lazy cottage cheese buns (vatrushka) — and if you love cottage cheese baking, do not miss the protein cottage cheese sochniki. For more pastry technique, Serious Eats has excellent guides, and Allrecipes offers endless sweet-roll inspiration.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 200 g (7 oz) cottage cheese
- 200 g (7 oz) butter, at room temperature
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 320 g (11.3 oz / 2 2/3 cups) flour
For the filling:
- 150 g (5.3 oz) walnuts, ground
- 100 g (3.5 oz / 1/2 cup) sugar
- 1 egg, beaten (for brushing)
Instructions
- Rub the butter, sugar, salt and cottage cheese together with a fork until combined.
- Add the flour mixed with the baking powder and knead into a soft dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 40 minutes.
- Stir the ground walnuts together with the sugar. Roll the chilled dough into one large thin rectangle, spread the walnut filling over it and roll up tightly.
- Cut the roll into slices 3.5-4 cm (about 1.5 inches) thick.
- Place on a lined baking sheet, brush with beaten egg and bake at 180 C (350 F) for 30-35 minutes, until golden.
Tips
- Chill the dough for the full 40 minutes — cold dough rolls out thinner and holds its shape.
- Grind the walnuts finely for an even filling that does not tear the dough.
- Brush with egg just before baking for the shiniest golden crust.
Nutrition per 100 g: 125 kcal, protein 6 g, fat 4 g, carbs 16 g.