I spent Tuesday learning how to make my Grandma’s Apricot and Nut Rolls.  I enjoy eating them every Christmas but never helped with making them.  They took a lot more work than I had anticipated.  But they are well worth the work put into them!  I can’t imagine a holiday at Grandma’s house without them.

The recipe is in our church cook book under French Pastry.  Of course Grandma goes by the recipe but she has many tips along the way.

You start out by making your dough.  Cut the Crisco into the dry ingredients.

Beat eggs with a little bit of the milk.  Just enough to thin out the eggs.  Add to the dough and mix with your hands.

Add all BUT the last 1/3 cup of milk.  Refrigerate dough until ready to use.

Make your nut filling using the remaining milk, a jar of nut filling, and diced walnuts.

Once you have your dough and filling made, clean off a table and get everything ready to make your rolls.

Prep you surface with sugar, not flour!

Roll out a small portion of the dough.

Cut into 3-4 inch wide sections.

Spread your filling using the back of a spoon.  Leave a 1/2 inch empty on the longest side.

Roll up the dough starting on the shorter side.  Use a butter knife to help pick up the dough from the table.  Be careful, the dough is fragile!  Seal the edge of the dough to the roll.

Once rolled, cut into 1-2 inch slices.

Place the rolls seam side down on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Sprinkle with powder sugar and let cool.

Enjoy!

Grandma’s Apricot & Nut Rolls

• 6 Cups Flour
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 4 Eggs
• 3 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 lb. Crisco
• 1 can Evaporated Milk
• Powdered Sugar

1. Mix flour, salt & baking powder with Crisco.  Cut the Crisco into the flour until it resembles small crumbles.
2. Beat eggs with 1/4 cup of evaporated milk.  Put 1/3 cup of milk to the side.
3. Slowly add egg mixture to dough.  Continue to add the remaining milk to the dough and mix with your hands.  You will have a nice firm dough when finished.  Refrigerate until ready.
4. Roll out in sugar.  Roll as thin as possible.  The dough will be thin enough that you will be able to see through it.
5. Cut into 3-4 inch wide strips.
6. Cover with filling.  Leave 1/2 inch uncovered on long seam side.
7. Roll up gently.
8. Cut into 1-2 inch rolls.
9. Place seam side down on cookie sheet.
10. Bake at 375 degF for 10-12 minutes or until slightly hard to the touch.
11. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and let cool.

Nut Filling

• 3 Cups Ground Walnuts
• 10 oz. Nut Filling Mixture
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1 Tbs. Sugar
• 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk.

1. Mix all ingredients together.  If mixture seems too thick you can add additional milk to thin it.
2. Spread thin layer on dough.

The apricot filling that we used was premade from the grocery store.

What is your favorite Christmas cookie?