In many country cuisines, jam is put into this dessert. Walnut and hazelnut paste are preferred in Azerbaijani cuisine.

You will love this dessert, which is reminiscent of the mutaki pillow type of Azerbaijan. It's fun to make and tastes delicious too!  Here is the recipe

For the pastry:
1 kg wheat flour
500 g soft butter
5 egg yolks
250 gr soured cream

For the filling: 
300 gr peeled almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts
300 gr granulated sugar
1 tbsp (or more) powdered cardamom (to taste)

For serving:
icing sugar

Chop, flake and crumble the fat into the flour. Stir in the egg yolks and sour cream. Mix everything very well till smooth dough. It is very important, that you will mix the dough very well. You can use your hands.(Would you like to make this dish together? Join our Cooking Masterclasses to learn and taste the national cuisine of Azerbaijan!)

Separate the pastry into balls of around 300 g. Put on a tray, cover with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge, preferably overnight.

Remove the skin from the walnuts or almonds by heating them in a frying pan or in the oven (app. 200 gr C), then, while they are warm, placing inside a clean tea-cloth and rubbing, but not too hard. If there are still skin, try to remove it with a knife. Please pay attention, that walnuts should be warm, else the skin will not be removed. So if you have many walnuts, fry them in small parts. Let it be chilled. Crumble the skinned nuts and mix with the sugar. Add the powdered cardamom.

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Roll out each pastry ball into a round 15-20 cm in diameter. Cut the round diagonally into eight triangular pieces. Spread a thin layer of nuts and sugar onto each triangle. Roll the triangle into a cigar shape, starting from the larger end.

Your cakes will be like here on the picture.

Place on a baking tray and cook in a hot oven until they start to brown but not much! (App. 15 to 20 minutes).

Cool on a baking tray. Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.

Nush olsun! Bon Appetit!