With an electric mixer, beat the butter, cottage cheese, salt and vanilla until well mixed. The curds will be mashed at this point and not completely smooth. They'll disappear when the dough bakes.
Add the flour and stir until well mixed. Shape the dough into 4 4-inch rounds, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for an hour.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Flour a clean, dry work surface.
Take one of the cold dough sections. Unwrap it, plop it down on the floured surface, lay a sheet of plastic over top and roll it into a 9 inch circle.
Mix together all the filling ingredients (sugar, cinnamon and nuts) and sprinkle circle with ¼ of the filling ingredients, pressing down slightly to get them to stick.
Using a pizza cutter, slice into 12 equal wedges. Starting with the long end, roll wedges up toward the center. Place rolled pastries on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Brush the pastries lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with sparkly sugar if desired. Bake for about 20 minutes. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.