Irene Shahnzarian’s Nazook
📜 Collection: Gail Collection | ✍️ Attribution: Irene Shahnzarian | 📂 Category: Desserts A traditional Armenian pastry featuring a rich, yeasted sour cream dough rolled with a sweet, buttery, vanilla-scented flour filling. These pinwheel cookies are baked until golden and offer a delightful, crumbly texture.
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Inactive / Chill Time | Yield / Servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45 mins | 30 mins | 3 hours | 4–5 dozen cookies |
🔪 Key Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- rolling pin
- cookie sheets
- pastry brush
- knife
Ingredients
For the Dough
| Measurements | Ingredients | Prep / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (16-ounce) container | Sour Cream | standard |
| 3 | Eggs | large |
| 1 package | Yeast | active dry |
| 1 teaspoon | Sugar | granulated |
| 1 1/2 cups | Sweet Butter | melted |
| 4 cups | Flour | all-purpose |
For the Filling
| Measurements | Ingredients | Prep / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 cup | Sweet Butter | melted |
| 1 cup | Sugar | granulated |
| 1 1/2 cups | Flour | all-purpose |
| 2 teaspoons | Vanilla | extract |
For Assembly
| Measurements | Ingredients | Prep / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | Sweet Butter | melted |
| 2 | Egg Yolks | for wash |
| 1 tablespoon | Milk | for wash |
| 1 tablespoon | Sugar | for wash |
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Dough
- In a large bowl, stir together the 16-ounce container sour cream, 3 eggs, 1 package yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar.
- Pour in the 1 1/2 cups sweet butter and gradually mix in the 4 cups flour until a smooth, non-crumbly ball forms.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
Step 2: Prepare the Filling
- Melt the 1/2 cup sweet butter and stir in the 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 cups flour, and 2 teaspoons vanilla to create a crumbly mixture.
Step 3: Assembly and Baking
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease cookie sheets.
- Divide dough and filling into four parts. Roll one part into a rectangle, spread with filling, and brush with a portion of the 1/4 cup sweet butter.
- Roll tightly like a jelly roll and cut into 1-inch slices.
- Mix 2 egg yolks, 1 tablespoon milk, and 1 tablespoon sugar to create an egg wash; brush over cookies.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown and fragrant.
💡 Make-Ahead & Storage: The dough can be prepared and chilled up to 24 hours in advance. Baked cookies store well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Original Recipe Scan
