Aranygaluska

Ingredients

• 1⅛ lbWheat flourplain, for the yeast dough; sifted
• 1¼ cupsmilklukewarm, to activate the yeast and for the dough
• ⅔ ozFresh yeastactivated in lukewarm milk with a little sugar
• 3 tbspsugarfor the dough, one teaspoon of it for the yeast
• 2¾ ozbuttersoftened, worked into the dough
• 2egg yolksfor the dough
• 1 pinchsaltfor the dough
• ¼ ozvanilla sugarone sachet, for the dough or the nut mixture
• 1Lemonzest only, for the dough (optional)
• 7 ozWalnutsground, for the filling between the layers
• 3½ ozicing sugarmixed with the ground nuts
• 4¼ ozButtermelted, to coat or drizzle the dough balls and to grease the tin
• Vanilla saucefor serving (optional)
• 5 tbspjamfor serving (optional)

Method

1. Warm the milk until lukewarm, stir in a teaspoon of the sugar, crumble in the fresh yeast, cover and leave until the yeast is visibly lively.
2. Sift the flour and knead it with the salt, the remaining sugar, the vanilla sugar, the egg yolks and the yeasted milk to a dough. If you like, grate in the lemon zest.
3. Work in the softened butter a little at a time and knead for 5 to 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and no longer sticks to your hands.
4. Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for 40 to 60 minutes, until doubled in volume.
5. Meanwhile, mix the ground walnuts with the icing sugar and melt the remaining butter. Grease the baking tin with a little of it.
6. On a floured surface, roll or press the dough out 1 to 2 cm thick and cut out small rounds with a small cutter.
7. Coat the pieces of dough with the melted butter and layer them loosely into the tin, scattering each layer generously with the sugared walnuts. Finish with a layer of nuts and let it prove briefly once more.
8. Bake at 355 °F for about 45 to 50 minutes, until golden brown; if the top colours too quickly, cover it with foil.
9. Let it cool a little and serve warm — ideally with vanilla sauce.

Tips and variations

Instead of only coating the balls in the melted butter, you can roll each one first in the butter and then in the sugared walnuts, so every dumpling gets its own crust. Lemon zest in the dough adds extra fragrance. If you like, bake it on a pizza stone in an indirectly heated grill. Another pretty version: arrange the balls in a ring in a heart-shaped tin, pour over warm vanilla-scented milk just before the end of the baking time, and serve with a spoonful of jam. Classically, it comes with vanilla or custard sauce.