To prepare a delicious cozonac filled with a rich almond cream, it is important to carefully follow each step of the recipe to achieve an exceptional final product. We start by ensuring we have all the ingredients at hand and that we have prepared a clean and organized workspace.
We begin with the filling of the cozonac. In a baking tray lined with parchment paper, we roast the almonds in a preheated oven for about 2-3 minutes. It is essential to turn them occasionally with a spatula to ensure they roast evenly. If we opt for walnut kernels, they will require additional chopping after roasting, but peeled and chopped almonds will make the job easier. In a bowl, we mix the butter with sugar until we obtain a homogeneous, creamy mixture.
To prepare the baking dish, we take a pot with a diameter of 24 cm and put sugar in it, melting it over low heat. It is important to continuously stir with a wooden spoon to avoid burning the sugar. Once the sugar has melted, we pour it onto the walls of the pot, ensuring it is evenly distributed.
Now we turn our attention to the dough. In the bread machine bowl, we add the ingredients in the following order: warm milk (not hot, so as not to activate the yeast too early), rum essence, eggs, grated lemon zest, salt, sugar, vanilla sugar, freshly sifted flour, and dry yeast. We set the program for kneading the dough, which will take about 25 minutes. At the end of this process, the dough should be soft and slightly elastic.
On a lightly floured work surface, we roll out the dough with a rolling pin, forming a rectangular sheet measuring 25 cm x 36 cm and 1 cm thick. Over this sheet, we spread the previously prepared almond cream, leaving about a 1 cm margin free. We sprinkle the roasted and chopped almonds over the cream surface and press them lightly so that they integrate well.
We carefully roll the sheet of dough, forming a tight roll. We cut the roll into six equal pieces, each about 6 cm long. We place these pieces in the prepared pot, vertically, with one in the center of the pot and the others around it, at equal distances. We ensure that the ends of the roll are facing the wall of the pot to prevent them from unraveling during baking.
We cover the pot with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for one hour. During this time, we preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Once the rising time has expired, we remove the wrap and bake the cozonac in the oven for 35-40 minutes. The golden color and inviting aroma will indicate the ideal moment to take it out of the oven. After baking, we turn the cozonac onto a platter and prepare to enjoy an exceptional dessert, perfect for any occasion.
We begin with the filling of the cozonac. In a baking tray lined with parchment paper, we roast the almonds in a preheated oven for about 2-3 minutes. It is essential to turn them occasionally with a spatula to ensure they roast evenly. If we opt for walnut kernels, they will require additional chopping after roasting, but peeled and chopped almonds will make the job easier. In a bowl, we mix the butter with sugar until we obtain a homogeneous, creamy mixture.
To prepare the baking dish, we take a pot with a diameter of 24 cm and put sugar in it, melting it over low heat. It is important to continuously stir with a wooden spoon to avoid burning the sugar. Once the sugar has melted, we pour it onto the walls of the pot, ensuring it is evenly distributed.
Now we turn our attention to the dough. In the bread machine bowl, we add the ingredients in the following order: warm milk (not hot, so as not to activate the yeast too early), rum essence, eggs, grated lemon zest, salt, sugar, vanilla sugar, freshly sifted flour, and dry yeast. We set the program for kneading the dough, which will take about 25 minutes. At the end of this process, the dough should be soft and slightly elastic.
On a lightly floured work surface, we roll out the dough with a rolling pin, forming a rectangular sheet measuring 25 cm x 36 cm and 1 cm thick. Over this sheet, we spread the previously prepared almond cream, leaving about a 1 cm margin free. We sprinkle the roasted and chopped almonds over the cream surface and press them lightly so that they integrate well.
We carefully roll the sheet of dough, forming a tight roll. We cut the roll into six equal pieces, each about 6 cm long. We place these pieces in the prepared pot, vertically, with one in the center of the pot and the others around it, at equal distances. We ensure that the ends of the roll are facing the wall of the pot to prevent them from unraveling during baking.
We cover the pot with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for one hour. During this time, we preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Once the rising time has expired, we remove the wrap and bake the cozonac in the oven for 35-40 minutes. The golden color and inviting aroma will indicate the ideal moment to take it out of the oven. After baking, we turn the cozonac onto a platter and prepare to enjoy an exceptional dessert, perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
For the dough: - 110 ml of warm milk - 2 eggs - 2 small bottles of rum essence - grated rind of a medium sized lemon - 75 g of extra fine sugar - 400 g of freshly sifted white flour 000 - a pinch of salt - 2 packets of vanilla sugar - a packet of dry yeast (7 g dry yeast) For the cream: - 130 g butter at room temperature (soft but not melted) cut into pieces - 150 g extra fine sugar - 70 g walnut kernels / almonds peeled and chopped (I used almonds) For the caramel: - 250 g extra fine sugar