The classic walnut nut roll known as potica just got even better with the addition of chocolate!
Nut Roll Recipe
First day of December and it was mid-70’s and sunny! Maybe not very festive, but it definitely made me joyous! I’m excited for Christmas baking to commence!
This will be my first Christmas in Virginia so it should be interesting.
I’ll be with family, but I will miss baking cookies with everyone in the weeks leading up and miss eating dad’s special potica on Christmas morning.
Last year I shared the recipe for Poppy Seed-Walnut Potica with some step-by-step photos.
If you’ve never had it this is the year to try!
Potica goes by many different names depending where you’re from, but the tender pastry rolled up with a nut filling always means delicious. 🙂
It looks decadent and tastes heavenly, but it is not overly sweet. Be sure to check out the original recipe for tips and hints on putting it together.
I got to thinking…what could possibly make this better? The answer: chocolate.
It was either that or bacon, and I’m already in love with my Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls.
So I added chocolate inside and out for a velvety treat. Be sure to frost the potica while still semi-warm for an extra shiny glaze!
Dad’s secret to perfect potica: grind the nuts instead of chopping.
He swears squeezing the nuts makes them taste better! So if you have a food grinder or grandma’s antique sausage grinder lying around, give it a try.
It’s the little things that make this time of year special!
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Chocolate Potica (Nut Roll)
Potica - old fashioned Polish nut roll recipe with easy chocolate walnut filling!
Ingredients
Ingredients for dough:
- 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast, or 1 packet
- 1 cup milk, warmed
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons of butter, melted
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Ingredients for filling:
- 2 cups walnuts, finely ground
- ½ cup sugar
- 4 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 cup milk
Ingredients for glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup semi- or bittersweet chocolate, melted
Instructions
- Combine the milk and yeast in large bowl. When it begins to foam, add remaining ingredients for the dough except for the flour, mixing until thoroughly combined.
- Add the flour in increments, adjusting as needed to create a sticky dough. Put dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and proof until doubled in size, about 1-1 ½ hours.
- In the meantime, prepare the filling: grind or finely chop the walnuts. Mix all filling ingredients together.
- Grease 2 pie pans and set aside.
- On a floured work surface, punch down dough, divide in 2 and roll out in an oblong shape until very thin, but not translucent, about 16×16 inches.
- Spread dough with half the filling, roll up and place in pie pans creating a circle shape by pinching ends together. Repeat with other half of dough.
- Cover and proof about 30-40 minutes. Rolls should rise, but not be doubled in size.
- Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.
- Combine all the ingredients for glaze except chocolate, mixing until smooth. Allow potica to cool just slightly before icing. Drizzle with melted chocolate.