Cozonac - because everything begins with traditions

Good-old, wholesome, traditional sweets take me back to childhood Christmas stories.
The recipe has been my aunt's most treasured legacy for years now and, probably, she has always imagined someone might continue the tradition. She has kneaded hundreds over the years: for neighbors, friends and family. Sweet, fluffy, warm, filled with plump sultanas and crispy nuts, hand-kneaded for hours and tucked away like precious babies close to the warmth of the heath to rise and gain momentum.
For a couple of years now, I have ventured on her footsteps, respecting her austere recipe and I am loving every minute of it.
Here it is, in it's unique, surprising simplicity:
 

Cozonac

(Tanti Metuta's recipe)

Preparation time: 1 hour 30 mins
Rising time: a couple of  hours (sorry)

Baking time: 1 hour 

Makes: 2 loafs

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 1 kg all-purpose flour
• 500 ml milk
• 250 g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 10 tablespoons sunflower oil 
• vanilla beans or vanilla sugar
• 30 g active yeast

 For the filling:

• 1 handful (100 g) raisins or sultanas
• 200 g roughly chopped nuts
• 40 g cocoa 
• 3 tablespoons crystal sugar
• 4 tablespoons milk
• Turkish delight (assorted and only if you fancy it :) )

Directions

1. To make the dough :
2. To prepare the yeast preheat the milk (be careful it should be lightly warm, not hot) and dissolve the yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Let it rest for 10 minutes and rise, then add to it the vanilla beans, mix well to combine.
3. Pour this milk over the flour, add the eggs and the oil gradually and  knead well the dough. Llet it rest, in a warm place, until doubled in size, around 1 hour.Be sure to knead the dough for at least 30 minutes, until you’ll obtain a flexible dough and it doesn't stick to your hands (the more you knead, the fluffier the texture).
4. To make the filling:
5. In a small pot, over medium heat, dissolve the sugar and cacao in the milk, then add the nuts and sultanas. Keep stirring until you’ll obtain a creamy consistency. Set aside to cool.
6. To assemble the cozonac:
7. Knead a bit the dough and then divide it in two. Line each part and spread the mixture of nuts over it.  Roll it and continue in the same way with the other part of the dough. You should obtain two dough rolls filled with a delicious mixture.
8. Twist around the two rolls to obtain a braided cozonac. Place it carefully in a loaf tray already greased with butter and sprinkled with flour and let it rise for 30 minutes more, in a warm place.
9. Meantime, preheat the oven to 150°C. Generously coat the cake with egg wash and sprinkle it with crystal sugar. Bake the cozonac for 40 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. If is starting to cook to much on the upper side, decrease the temperature to 110°C and continue to bake it. 
10. When it's baked remove it from pan to a wire rack to cool.
11. Serve warm with a glass of milk and wait for Santa Clause :)