Costișani Cozonac with walnut filling

Every family with its own sweet bread!

Cozonac (sweet bread) is a unique baked good in our lands, every skilled housewife keeps her recipe a great secret, because a perfect sweet bread needs a lot of spiritual warmth, tranquility, and a predisposition for a beautiful result, as well as experience.

I haven't managed to find a better cozonac recipe that has as much taste and fragrance as Mrs. Lilia's cozonac. For such a special occasion, I couldn't help but invite the most experienced woman in our family, Lilia Costișanu, my husband's mother. She perfected the recipe over many years, with great skill and love for those around her, whom she delights with this wonderful sweet bread every year at Easter.

For our family, this recipe is a legacy, and we are very happy to share it with your families.

We wish you a Happy Easter and peaceful baking!

Ingredients:

• 500g flour
• 4 eggs
• 150g honey
• 150ml milk
• 200g butter
• 7g dry yeast
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• zest of one lemon and one orange
• vanilla
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• a pinch of ground nutmeg
• 7 ground cardamom pods
• a level teaspoon of turmeric

Method of preparation:

The dough:

Mix the flour with all the dry ingredients, let it sit for 15 minutes. In the meantime, melt the butter, heat the milk mixed with honey to 40-50 degrees, and mix the eggs with salt until homogeneous, then add the lemon and orange zest. In a large bowl, mix the eggs and lukewarm milk with honey.

Sift the flour over it, pour in the lukewarm butter, add the flavorings, and mix for 2-3 minutes until homogeneous. Cover the bowl with cling film and let it rise at room temperature for 2 hours, then keep it in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours.

The filling:

• 500g ground walnuts
• 2 beaten egg whites
• 150g sugar
• 100g melted dark chocolate
• 150g rose petal jam
• cinnamon

Mix all ingredients in a bowl with a spatula.

Finishing:

Prepare 3 round baking pans with a diameter of 15cm, dust the work surface with flour, divide the dough into three pieces, roll out a sheet with a thickness of approximately 5-6mm and sides of 20cm by 50cm. Spread the filling evenly over the entire surface, roll it up, and then shape it into a spiral. Leave the pans covered with a towel for 1-1.5 hours.

Baking:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. When the sweet breads have doubled in volume, carefully brush them with egg yolk mixed with a little water and sugar. Bake at 200 degrees and after 5-7 minutes, reduce the temperature to 170 degrees for 45-50 minutes. It is important not to open the oven door during the first 30 minutes. When they are ready, leave them in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then remove them from the pan and cool them on a rack for 4 hours, covered with a towel.

Good luck!