From a Pot: Mini Walnut Rolls

Tang Zhong

• Flour: 25 g

• Water: 130 ml

Dough

• Flour: 360 g

• Sugar: 60 g

• Dry yeast: 7 g

• Eggs: 1

• Salt: 1 tsp

• Milk: 100 ml

• Butter: 25 g

• Orange peel: 0.5 tsp

Egg wash

• Egg: 1

Walnut filling

• Walnuts: 300 g

• Coffee: 1 tsp

• Rum: 1 tablespoon

• Cinnamon: 0.5 tsp

• Butter: 50 g

• Milk: 120 ml

• Sugar: 70 g

• Eggs: 1

• Fresh orange juice: 10 ml

Baking, rising and cutting the dough

Cream cheese topping

• Philadelphia: 100 g

• Powdered sugar: 50 g

• Vanilla extract: 0.5 tsp

• Cinnamon: 0.5 tsp

• Rum: 2 teaspoons

• Nutmeg

1. Slowly heat the flour and water in a sauce pan while stirring constantly to obtain a thick paste. This will take up to about 5 minutes.
2. Wait for the paste to cool to room temperature before use.

1. Put flour, salt, sugar and dry yeast in a large bowl. Mix to combine. Add an egg, lukewarm milk, room temperature butter, orange peel and Tang zhong paste. Knead all the ingredients well to get a smooth, elastic dough.
2. The dough must remain sticky so be careful not to add too much flour.
3. Place the dough in a bowl lightly coated with oil and leave to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes to one hour. I let it rise in the oven at 30 degrees Celsius (86 F). The dough is ready when it triples in size.

1. Heat up the milk and butter in a saucepan then pour it over the walnuts. Wait for the walnuts to cool slightly before adding the egg and other ingredients. Let the walnuts rest for at least half an hour so that the walnuts are soaked with all the ingredients.

1. Roll out the dough. Punch it down to release the air, then place it on a floured surface or on a big floured kitchen towel. Roll it out with a lightly floured rolling pin. Roll it into a rectangular shape, about 30 x 45 cm.
2. Spread the filling evenly on the dough and roll the dough into a tight roll.
3. Cut the roll with a sharp knife or string into even-sized slices (about 5 cm).
4. Grease the bottom and sides of a baking tray or line it with parchment paper. Then place the cut walnut rolls inside. Place the cut site up.
5. Cover the walnut rolls with a kitchen towel and let them rise for another hour before baking.
6. Before baking the walnut rolls, brush them with egg wash if you wish for them to have this shinee look. Simply crack an egg in a small cup, whisk it with a fork and then brush the egg wash over the walnut rolls with a brush or a spoon.
7. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 F) and bake for about 30 - 35 minutes or until golden brown.

1. Add all the ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and mix with a mixer until smooth and creamy (about 2 to 3 minutes). Add more or less sugar based on your taste. I only added a pinch of nutmeg but you can add more.