German Nut Rolls (Nuss Schnecken)
These sweet German nut rolls called Nussschnecken are like flat cinnamon rolls filled with chopped nuts. The buns are super soft, swirled with a sticky caramelized filling. And a simple homemade glaze on top adds sweetness.
Equipment
- measuring cups and spoons
- Microwave Safe Bowl
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Dough
- 1¼ cups milk (either dairy or non dairy)
- 4½ cups all purpose flour
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one small packet)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
Filling
- ½ cup finely chopped almonds or hazelnuts
- ⅔ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk (either dairy or non-dairy milk)
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Warm the milk, either on the stove top, or in the microwave for about 1 minute, until it's like a warm bath when you put your finger in the milk.To the warm milk, mix in the active dry yeast and granulated sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes, until it becomes frothy on top.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the milk & yeast mixture with the salt, eggs, and softened butter.Add the flour, and mix with a large spoon until it forms a sticky dough, and there’s no dry flour visible.
- Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Knead the dough by hand for about 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and springs back to its original shape when you indent it with your finger. Shape the dough into a ball.
- Place the dough ball back in the mixing bowl, and cover with a kitchen towel. Let it rest and rise in a warm place (like an empty oven with the light turned on) for about 2 hours, until it doubles in size.
Make the Nut Filling
- Prepare the filling by combining the chopped almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a bowl. Set aside.
Shape the Rolls
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, place it on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a 1 cm-thick rectangle (roughly 30 cm by 45 cm).
- Use the back of a spoon or a spatula to gently spread out the filling in an even layer on the dough, leaving a one inch gap along the edges.
- Roll the dough into a log, starting at a long edge. Slice the dough log into 12 even pieces (see notes below for tips for slicing the dough).
- Place the rolls evenly spread out by at least 3 inches in all directions onto the prepared baking sheet. Leave any extra rolls on your counter, if you need to bake them in batches, or bake all the rolls on two separate baking sheets.
- Cover the rolls with a clean kitchen towel. Let them rest for 30 minutes.
Bake the Rolls
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until they’re puffed up and golden brown.Transfer the baked rolls to a cooling rack and bake the next batch (if needed).
Decorate with Glaze
- Prepare the glaze by whisking the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and one tablespoon of milk in a bowl. Add another tablespoon of milk if the glaze is too thick to drizzle.Drizzle the glaze with a fork onto the rolls,. Enjoy!!
Notes
- Slicing Dough: I don't recommend slicing the log of dough with a knife, which can squish the spiral shape. Instead, use dental floss to cut the dough.
- Smooth Glaze: Sift the powdered sugar for smoother glaze.
- Chopped Nuts: I recommend chopping your nuts into pretty small pieces, so you get nuts in each bite.
- Stand Mixer: I usually knead my dough by hand, but you can also knead it in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment for about 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1rollCalories: 435kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 8gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 222mgPotassium: 159mgFiber: 2gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 436IUVitamin C: 0.03mgCalcium: 75mgIron: 3mg
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