Bratislavské rožky: walnut and poppy seed crescents

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Make the dough

   Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the cold butter cut into pieces, and rub together with your fingers until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in the powdered sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Add the egg yolks and yeast mixture, and quickly work into a smooth dough.

2. Let the dough rest

   Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Do not let it rise in a warm place; simply let it firm up so it is easy to shape.

3. Cook the fillings

   For the walnut filling, bring the milk, sugar, and butter to a boil. Stir in the walnuts and cinnamon, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Prepare the poppy seed filling the same way using the milk, sugar, butter, poppy seeds, and lemon zest. Let both fillings cool completely.

4. Fill and shape

   Divide the dough into 40 pieces weighing 25 g each, and roll each into an oval about 10 cm long. Fill half the ovals with walnut filling and half with poppy seed filling, using about 20 g per crescent. Wrap the dough tightly around the filling, pinch the ends closed, and bend each crescent into a horseshoe shape.

5. Brush with egg yolk and white

   Place the crescents on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with beaten egg yolk and let dry in a cool place for 20 minutes. Then brush with beaten egg white and let dry for another 20 minutes.

6. Bake

   Bake in an oven preheated to 190 °C (375 °F) for 12–15 minutes, until golden brown. The surface will crack slightly during baking, creating a marbled pattern. Let the crescents cool on a wire rack.

Tip: Use a soft pastry brush to apply thin layers of egg yolk and egg white, and let each layer dry in a cool place; otherwise, the surface will not crack into its characteristic marbled pattern during baking.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Bratislavské rožky s orechovou a makovou plnkou