Maple Walnut Twists

I am in love with this sour cream sweet dough. It is a little stickier to work with than other doughs but the reward is a tender, moist, fluffy sweet dough for anything from cinnamon buns to these maple walnut twists. This dough also rises really well. Maple is one of my favorite flavors any time of the year but especially during the fall and especially paired with walnuts. I got rave reviews from my co-workers when I brought these twists in. The nice thing is that they look a lot more difficult than they really are. The addition of maple extract to all 3 parts (dough, filling and glaze) really makes these burst with flavor.

Maple Walnut Twists
Makes 1 - 12" Round

Dough
4 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup warm water (110°F-115°F)
1 pkg. active dry yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp maple (or vanilla) extract

Filling
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp maple extract

Glaze
2 tbsp butter, melted
1-2 tbsp milk or cream
1/2 tsp maple extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup icing sugar

PROCEDURE

1. Dough: Dissolve 1 tbsp sugar in the warm water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water. Do not stir. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir briefly with a fork, cover and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes or until bubbly.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the 3 cups of flour, remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar, and the salt. Add the slightly firm butter and continue to mix until meal-size crumbs form, about 2 to 4 minutes depending upon the temperature of the butter.
3. Mix together the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Add the sour cream mixture to the flour along with the dissolved yeast, and mix on low until a rough dough is formed. Dough will be soft and sticky. You may need to add a little flour to make it handle-able but add as little as possible or else the dough will become tough.
4. Lightly butter a medium bowl. Turn the dough into the prepared bowl, smoothing the top with lightly floured hands. Brush the top lightly with a small amount of softened butter. Cover and let rise for 45-60 minutes at room temperature.
***For later use: cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When ready to use, let it come to room temperature and finish rising.

5. Filling & Assembly: Grease or line a 14-inch pizza pan. Combine all filling ingredients in a small bowl. On a lightly floured surface divide dough into 3 equal portions. Try to use as little flour as possible when rolling and handling dough. Roll one portion into a 12-inch round and transfer to the prepared pizza pan. With your hands, spread 1/3 filling mixture on the dough, all the way to the edge. Roll out the second dough portion and place it on top of the filling on the first. Spread with 1/3 filling then repeat with the last portion of dough and last portion of filling.

6. With kitchen scissors, cut 16 strips around the dough circle starting at the outer edge. Leave about 2 inches in the centre of the dough to keep the whole thing connected. Gently twist each strip 4-5 times and tuck the ends under, pressing gently to keep them from unraveling. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 20-25 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on pizza pan on wire rack.

7. Glaze: Combine all glaze ingredients and mix to the consistency of molasses. Drizzle over slightly cooled maple twists. If the twists are too hot the glaze will just melt and run off.