Cinnamon-walnut Swirl Cookies

"Oki, this is my last one''... how many times have you said that and yet, u grabbed another guilty treat?
So prepare yourself, these cookies will make u go nuts! Not only because they have a rich amount of them inside, but mostly because they are cranchy, toasty and light at the same time. Ah! and your kitchen will smell like a warm heaven while baking them.

you need:

baking sheet,

rolling pin,

parchment paper,

plastic wrap,

sifter,

2 large bowls.

ingredients:

for the dough:

2 and 1/2 cups flour (all-purpose or bread)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder (or baking soda will work as well)

2 sticks butter softened (220g)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest

for the filling:

4  tablespoon unsalted butter softened (50g)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

(if u have only 1 kind use full cup of it)

1/2 cup toasted and chopped walnuts

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

First combine (best in a kitchen robot aka Kitchen Aid aka my 2nd husband, or just use a mixer!) butter with sugar, when well mixed start adding eggs (room temperature ALWAYS when u bake with eggs). Add first egg, mix it well and  then add the other. Add the lemon zest to make it smell fresh and fruity.

In the other bowl combine your dry ingredients, sift in flour, salt and baking powder. Now start adding dry ingredients to the bowl with butter-egg mixture, slowly in portions. DO NOT OVER MIX THE DOUGH!

Making almost any kind of cookies remember : mix  the wet and dry ingredients good, but never over mix them, that will make your cookies heavy and doughy, big no no!

Ok, now you have combined your ingredients, the dough is dense but soft to the touch. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for a min. 1h. (can stay over night if  you plan to bake them the next day, you can also freeze the dough up to 1 month)

While your dough is chilling in the fridge, make the filling.

It's easy and fast, so think of what else you gonna make while waiting for it.

Combine 4 tablespoons of softened butter with light and dark brown sugar, add cinnamon.

Chop the walnuts, put them in a large skillet or into baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven at 400° F (200°C), for 5-7 min. Just to let them release their natural oils. This way you bring them back to life and make them fragrant and toasty (Warning! don't burn the nuts, because instead of roasty -toasty flavor you will have burnt disaster). Combine the nuts with butter and sugar mixture. 

Take your dough and roll it. (remember to sprinkle your rolling surface with flour, this kind of dough when getting warm is getting very sticky. If it starts to get to sticky, put it into the freezer for few minutes, it will get cold and easy to work with again). The dough must be cold and firm.  

What I do is: I take a rectangle piece of parchment paper, I roll the dough on it, make it 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick. Trim the edges.

Then I put it back into the freezer to make it firm again. Next I roll it back, sprinkle with the delicious filling, starting from the side of the dough closer to me and then I use the parchment paper as a rolling tool (just like you use bamboo mate to roll  sushi ). You can easily roll 3 sheets 15 x 10 inch (35 x 25 cm).

When is rolled nicely I glue the very end of it, with egg wash or a bit of water. And yes, need to stick it inside the freezer once again before cut it.

Cut the cookie roll with a sharp knife into nice discs, make them 1 inch thick (about 2 cm).

Bake them on the parchment paper you used to roll the dough, in a preheated oven, at 350° F (180° C) for 15-19 min until lightly brown, let them cool (that's the hardest part  I know ).

Once cool they are ready to munch!