If you ever had a a fresh nazook straight out of the oven, then you know what pure joy tastes like! I grew up calling this pastry gata. However, gata is such a popular name that it is mainly known for the round flat pastry. You can find my recipe for round Armenian gata here.
It was later on in my life I came to learn that nazook is more popularly used name for the smaller, individually cut pastries. So for this recipe and for the sake of commonly used terms, we will call this a nazook.
What is Nazook?
Nazook has been deeply rooted in the Armenian culture. It has been a signature pastry within the Armenian communities all around the world. It is commonly served at special occasions, celebrations, and holidays. The term nazook is derived from the Persian word “Nazok” which means thin or delicate. This pastry is made by rolling the dough out thinly and is to be handled delicately while adding the khoreez filling and rolling it in like a log.
This recipe has been tested so many times until it has reached optimal deliciousness! Once you make this nazook recipe, everyone is going to want the recipe from you! It’s one of those pastries you will crave time and time again. Just the aroma that fills your home with sweet joy is enough to get you coming back for more.
Although making nazook may seem tedius at first glance, I encourage you to see through that and dedicate a time where you get to make it. The result will be so worth it! My recipes have a lower sugar content and they absolutely still taste amazing. Therefore, you can enjoy more of it without the extra calories!
I will explain all the details on how to make the dough, and will also show you a sped up tutorial. I hope you give this recipe a try. When you do, get ready to wow yourself and anyone else who gets the privilege of trying the fruit of your labor.
Lets do this!
| Prep Time: 3o minutes + 2 hours chill time | Bake Time: 18- 22 minutes |
| Serves: 24 medium sized nazooks (approximately) | Total Time: 50 minutes + 2 hours refrigeration |
| Ingredients For the Dough 3 cups organic unbleached bread flour 3/4 cup pasture raised butter (room temperature, not too soft) 1 cup sour cream 1 tsp baking soda 1 egg 1 tbsp organic sugar 1 tbsp honey 1/4 cup milk 1 egg yolk (for eggwash) 1 egg white (to brush the inside of dough) Khoreez (original nazook filling) 1/2 cup organic sugar 1/2 cup bread flour 2 tbsp brown butter 1 tsp vanilla extract Walnut Khoreez (walnut filling) 1/2 cup whole walnuts or 3/4 cup ground walnuts 2 tbsp brown butter 3/4 cardamom (powder) 3 tbsp sugar Note *If you only want the original khoreez filling, double the recipe for that one |
| Instructions 1. First add the butter and flour to a kitchen stand mixer bowl and mix by hand until it resembles course crumbles. Set aside. 2. Next, in a small bowl add the baking soda with the sour cream. Stir vigorously until the texture gets light and slightly foamy. (This activates the baking soda) 3. Add the sour cream mixture to the flour mixture. 4. Next add 1 egg, sugar, honey and milk and mix with the dough attachment on your mixer for about 3-4 minutes, or until the dough no longer sticks to the walls of the bowl. 5. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a large ziplog bag and refrigerate for 2 hours. Meanwhile make the khoreez filling. If only using the original khoreez filling, double the recipe and make the original filling following the instructions below. *Omit the walnut filling instructions if not using that filling. Khoreez Filling (Original) 1. Melt the butter on medium heat until it is a light golden brown color. Let it cool for about 5 minutes. 2. In a medium sized bowl add the flour, vanilla extract, and melted butter. 3. Stir until it resembles small crumbs. Cover and set aside at room temperature. Khoreez Filling (Walnuts) 1. Melt the butter on medium heat until it is a light golden brown color. Let it cool for about 5 minutes. 2. Add whole walnuts, sugar, and cardamom into a food processor and blend until it is very fine. 3. Place ground walnut mixture into a medium sized bowl, add melted butter and stir. Cover and set aside. Dough 1. Preheat over to 340F. 2. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut the dough in half. Set aside one half of the dough while working with the other. 3. Place the dough on a large, lightly floured surface and gently form a rectangle shape with your hands. 4. Roll out the dough using a rolling pin until it is about 1/4 thick. Try to maintain the rectangle shape. 5. Brush just the egg white onto the surface of the rolled out dough with a pastry brush. Add the first half of the khoreez filling evenly on the dough. Leave about 1/2 of space at the top end of the dough to allow sealing. 6. Gently press the filling down with your hands and begin rolling the dough into a log shape. 7. Starting with the bottom part of the dough, (closest to you) pull a small portion of the dough from the bottom and fold it about 1 inch forward. 8. Carefully repeat this folding motion horizontally until you one layer folded over. 9. Continue this folding/rolling motion until you have formed a long log. 10. Seal the ends and sides by pinching the edges of the log shaped dough and gently pressing into the dough. 11. Roll seam side down and take the rolling pin and gently roll over the log shaped dough horizontally to make it smooth. 12. Using a pastry brush, brush the eggwash (just the egg yolk, slighly beaten) over the log shaped dough. Gently go over the eggwash log dough with a fork to make designs of choosing. 13. Using dough cutter, a knife, or a wedge cutter, cut the log into about 2 inch thin individual slices. 14. Place onto a baking sheet lined with unbleached parchment paper and bake until they are golden brown. (18-22 minutes, keep a close eye on them). 15. Repeat steps 3-14 for the 2nd half of the dough and enjoy! *Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. |
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