Usually, I don't get much of an immediate response from people when I serve this. They're too busy eating it! Poppy Seed Roll really brings the light to my husband's eyes. He prefers it over any birthday cake I could bake. I like to serve this bread as a just-right, not-too-sweet dessert. And i always offer a glass of cold milk, too—my husband's part of a family dairy!
In a saucepan, heat milk, butter, sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm. Add 2 beaten eggs and the vanilla extract. Dissolve yeast in warm water.
In a large bowl, combine milk mixture, yeast mixture and enough flour to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down and let rest for 5 minutes. Roll dough into a 12-in. x 18-in. rectangle. Spread with poppy seed filling and 1 cup nuts. Starting with the long side, roll up dough and pinch the edges to seal.
Place on a large greased baking sheet, seam side down. Curve slightly to form a crescent shape. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Beat remaining egg with 1 teaspoon water; brush over top. Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Glaze with confectioners' sugar icing and top with remaining nuts.
1 slice: 317 calories, 12g fat (3g saturated fat), 46mg cholesterol, 163mg sodium, 45g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 1g fiber), 8g protein.
Made this today and it was as good as described. Great recipe.
This recipe has become a Christmas morning tradition for my family.
This is a delicious bread, one I sent to my college son on his birthday! It makes a HUGE loaf, but it can easily be cut after it bakes and stored in the freezer. I make it without the icing as it's nice to have a not too sweet bread sometimes.