Nostalgic taste: How "walnut" cookies warmed the holidays
"Walnut" cookies are a true classic. They symbolised family warmth and our mothers' and grandmother's culinary creativity, who could create something special from simple ingredients. Filled with sweet cream and resembling hazelnuts in shape, these crunchy cookies would always disappear in an instant from the Christmas Eve table. How are they made and what makes them so special?
The "walnut" cookies were made from simple ingredients, but the result was delightful in appearance and taste. Filled with cream and ground nuts or caramel, they became a favourite dessert for children and adults. Today, they are making a comeback as a sentimental nod to family traditions and childhood flavours.
Recipe for "walnut" cookies
The "walnut" cookies epitomise holiday tradition and remind us of home warmth. Although their preparation may seem time-consuming, the result is worth it—delicious, crunchy dough filled with a sweet filling that always impresses.
Ingredients:
Dough:
- 500 g plain flour,
- 250 g butter,
- 140 g icing sugar,
- 3 egg yolks,
- 2 tablespoons of 18% sour cream,
- a pinch of salt.
Filling:
- 1 can of caramel,
- 100 g ground walnuts,
- 1 tablespoon of rum (optional).
Preparation
- In a bowl, chop the butter with flour, icing sugar, and salt. Add egg yolks and sour cream, and quickly knead into a smooth dough.
- Wrap the dough in foil and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Then, break off pieces of dough, form small balls, and place them in special walnut moulds.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for 10–12 minutes until golden.
- After cooling, gently remove the cookies from the moulds and fill them with a caramel-ground-nut filling.
Why make "walnut" cookies?
The "walnut" cookies are more than just a dessert—they capture a taste of tradition, evoking warm memories of holiday gatherings with family. They are not only delicious but also impressive—perfect for the Christmas Eve table and as a sweet gift for loved ones. For many, they're also a way to return to earlier days when simplicity and homemade baked goods held special significance.
Can you make "walnut" cookies without a mould?
Yes, although a traditional walnut mould greatly facilitates their preparation, you can manage without it while maintaining the unique taste of the cookies. Instead of shaping the shells in a mould, you can manually form small balls from the dough and gently flatten them into small shells or hemispheres. To give them a more "nut-like" appearance, use a fork to imprint characteristic grooves in the dough, resembling the texture of a nut.
After baking and cooling such shells, fill them with cream or caramel filling and join them in pairs to achieve the walnut effect. Although it will take a bit more time than with a mould, the final result will still taste like a traditional holiday dessert that will delight both household members and guests.
