Wasp Nests

To prepare these delicious mini rolls filled with nuts, we will start by preparing the sourdough. In a large container, pour 500 ml of lukewarm milk, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 100 g of sugar, and 40 g of fresh yeast. Gently mix to dissolve the yeast, then we will take care of the flour. In another bowl, put 1 kg of flour and make a nest in the middle. Here, we will pour the milk in which we dissolved the yeast. Mix with a bit of flour until we obtain a thicker sourdough, which we will let rise in a warm place, covered with a clean towel, until it doubles in volume.

After the sourdough has risen, add 300 g of margarine (preferably Rama brand) at room temperature, the 4 egg yolks, and start kneading the dough. It should become homogeneous and form air bubbles, indicating that the yeast is doing its job. Once we have obtained an elastic dough, we put it back to rise, covered, until it doubles in volume.

While the dough is rising, we prepare the filling. We mix 200 g of margarine with 280 g of sugar until we obtain a creamy and fluffy composition. This will be used to spread on the dough, adding extra flavor. When the dough is ready, we turn it onto a floured work surface and roll it out into a rectangle about 1 cm thick. We evenly spread the dough with the margarine and sugar mixture, then sprinkle ground nuts all over the surface.

We start rolling the dough like a loaf, being careful to keep it tight but not overly tight. After we have obtained a roll, we cut the dough into slices about 3 cm thick. We place the slices in trays, leaving space between them, as they will rise during baking. We let them rise for another 30 minutes.

In the meantime, we prepare the syrup. In a saucepan, we put 300 g of sugar and 800 ml of milk, which we let cook over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once we have obtained a homogeneous syrup, we take the saucepan off the heat and add the rum essence. If you prefer, you can also opt for vanilla essence.

After the rolls have risen, we preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and put them in to bake. When they turn golden and are baked, we take the tray out of the oven and drizzle the still warm rolls with the milk and rum syrup, using about 300 ml of syrup for each tray. We put the tray back in the oven for another 15 minutes on low heat, to absorb the flavors of the syrup.

Finally, we take the rolls out of the oven and carefully place them on plates. They can be served warm or at room temperature, plain or accompanied by chocolate or vanilla cream for extra refinement. These mini rolls with nuts are perfect for a snack, a savory dessert, or a special occasion, bringing a touch of joy to every meal.