Melci cu Nucă și Rom
Melci cu Nucă și Rom·(mel-chee koo noo-kuh shee rom)
Sărbătoare: Streamlined Holiday Feasts
Whether you grew up in Bucharest or an Ohio suburb, you know the smell. It’s the intoxicating aroma of toasted walnuts, enriched dough, and the sharp, undeniable punch of synthetic rum essence. In Transylvania, these aren't baked separately like American cinnamon rolls; they are nestled together like a wasp's nest. The defining grandma secret happens ten minutes before they finish baking, when the pan is drenched in hot vanilla milk. The milk steam-bakes the crumb into a cloud while combining with the melting butter and sugar to forge a sticky, toffee-like caramel crust at the bottom.
Before you start
Plan ahead for the proof.
The overnight cold fermentation is the ultimate weeknight secret. Mix the dough on a Tuesday evening, let the fridge do the hard work, and bake on Wednesday.
Ingredients
- unbleached all-purpose flour4 cup
- instant yeast2 1/4 tsp
- granulated sugar1/4 cup
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- whole milk1 1/4 cup
- unsalted European-style butter4 tbsp
- egg yolks2 large
- Dr Oetker Rum Essence1 tsp
- lemon1 med
- unsalted European-style butter14 tbsp
- English walnuts2 cup
- granulated sugar1/2 cup
- whole milk1/2 cup
- granulated sugar1/3 cup
- vanilla extract1 tsp
Method
- 01
Mix the enriched dough.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, whisk the flour, instant yeast, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and salt. Whisk the warm 1 1/4 cups milk, melted butter, egg yolks, rum essence, and lemon zest together in a measuring cup, then pour into the dry ingredients. Knead on medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes until a very soft, sticky, and highly aromatic dough forms.
- 02
Cold ferment the dough overnight.
Scrape the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. This slow, cold ferment develops the deep, yeasty flavor of a traditional Romanian bakery without requiring you to babysit it.
- 03
Prepare the walnut filling.
In a medium bowl, use a fork to mash the softened 14 tablespoons of butter, ground walnuts, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar into a thick, uniform paste.
- 04
Roll and assemble the pastries.
Generously butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. Punch down the cold dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll into a 16x12-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Spread the walnut-butter paste evenly across the surface all the way to the edges, tightly roll it into a log starting from the long side, and slice into 12 equal pieces.
- 05
Proof the rolls.
Arrange the rolls cut-side up in the prepared baking dish. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot for 45 to 60 minutes until puffy and touching each other.
- 06
Begin baking.
Preheat the oven to 375°F and bake the rolls for 20 minutes until the tops just begin to turn golden brown.
- 07
Prepare the milk syrup.
While the rolls bake, gently simmer the remaining 1/2 cup milk and 1/3 cup sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar completely dissolves. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- 08
Drench the rolls.
At the 20-minute mark, carefully pull the hot pan from the oven and evenly pour the milk syrup entirely over the rolls, ensuring it seeps down into the spirals and around the edges of the dish.
- 09
Bake to a caramelized finish.
Return the pan to the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. The rolls will absorb the milk, the tops will become a deep golden brown, and the bottom will bubble with a sticky walnut caramel. Let cool for 15 minutes before tearing them apart and serving warm.
Notes
Sourcing the essence.
You cannot substitute real rum or American rum extract in this recipe if you want it to taste like home. You must procure Dr. Oetker Esență de Rom, which is widely available online or at local European markets.
From Cook Romanian in America.