Apple rolls are always great sweet treats but they are even better in Fall since there are various fresh apples at bazaars in this season. My favorite is always green sourish ones, but these rolls are made with sweet apples, you decide the color. I saw some organic apples at our local bazaar last week and used them in this recipe, you know organic foods have better tastes and these rolls became divine with that distinctive flavor of apple.
You can find apple rolls in many pastry shops in Turkey and they are called elmali kurabiye –apple cookies. The shape of them might change though. Some of them are so thin and small, some are thick, some have little filling, some have a generous amount, so you are free to make such changes. The filling is always the same though, a mixture of cinnamon, walnut and apple. This is one of my favorite combinations in sweet treats. The flavor of cinnamon couldn’t go better with another fruit! And walnut gives a nice nutty flavor to this mixture. If you like this combination, you should check out this Easy Apple Pie too!
The dough of these cookies is as important as the filling. It must be melting in your mouth, and you can eat as many as you like.I used all purpose flour for this recipe, but I sometimes make it with whole wheat flour and I love the brownish color more. Also, unlike the traditional one, it gets a little crispy that way and I love it too! 
Traditional apple rolls don’t have lemon zest in the dough, but I love its refreshing flavor in it. I think it complements the combination of flavors in the filling.
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Cinnamon Walnut and Apple Roll Cookies
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Yield: 64 cookies 1x
Description
A range of Fall flavors come together in a melt-in-your mouth cookie.
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 and 1/4 cup (540 ml) flour
- 125g butter, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp yogurt
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
filling:
- 3 apples, peeled and grated
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) walnut, crumbled
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp icing sugar to coat cookies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C.
- Start making the filling. Heat a skillet and cook apple and sugar in it until it absorbs the juice.
- Add in cinnamon and walnut and cook for a few minutes.
- Let it cool.
- Mix all ingredients for dough.
- Make a big ball and divide it into 8 balls.
- Roll them out and cut into 8 equal pieces.
- Share the filling on those pieces and roll them up.
- Repeat the same for all dough balls.
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper and place apple rolls on it.
- Bake for 20 minutes and let it cool.
- Dust with icing sugar before serving.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cookies
- Calories: 110
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the filling get cooked before rolling?
The 3 grated apples are cooked in a skillet with sugar until they absorb their own juice before the cinnamon and walnuts are added. This step removes excess moisture that would otherwise make the dough soggy and prevents the filling from steaming apart the cookies during baking.
What is the difference between using all-purpose flour versus whole wheat flour for the dough?
The article notes you can use either. All-purpose flour gives the classic melt-in-your-mouth, pale golden texture. Whole wheat flour produces a slightly crispier cookie with a deeper brownish color — the author says she loves both but prefers the look of the whole wheat version.
Why does the dough include lemon zest and yogurt — are those traditional?
Traditional Turkish elmali kurabiye (apple roll cookies) don’t include lemon zest, but the author adds it for a refreshing note that complements the apple-cinnamon-walnut filling. The yogurt and 1 tbsp of olive oil in the dough are part of the traditional Turkish dough base that contributes to the melt-in-your-mouth texture.
