Hungarian Sweet Rolls

Ingredients

• Dough:
• 4 cups flour
• 1 package instant or rapid rise yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 24 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 large egg yolks (save whites for filling)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Filling:
• 3 large egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped fine (almond flour works here too)
• Confectioners’ sugar for rolling out the dough

Directions

1. Pulse flour, yeast, and salt in a food processor until blended. Add butter and pulse until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal, ten to fifteen 1-second pulses. Turn mixture into a large bowl.
2. Beat egg yolks, sour cream, and vanilla in a bowl. Fold yolk mixture into flour mixture, pressing mixture against the side of the bowl to form a sticky dough. Divide dough into 2 pieces and flatten each into a 4 inch disk. Wrap disks in plastic and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours up to 24 hours.
3. For the filling: Adjust oven racks and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. With an electric mixer at medium-low speed, beat egg whites in a large bowl until frothy. Increase speed to medium and gradually add sugar until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add vanilla, increase speed to high, and beat until whites hold soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold in walnuts.
4. Heavily sprinkle work surface with confectioners’ sugar. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll out a 16 inch circle that is about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 12 pie-shaped pieces and roll from the large end to form croissant-looking rolls.
5. Arrange 12 rolls on each baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake until tops are golden brown and puffed, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating and switching baking sheets halfway through baking time.