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Walnut Cookie Recipe​

Walnut Cookies, or Walnut Roll-Up Cookies, as we call them in my house are a delicious way to bring the holiday spirit to your home! The dough is made with yeast, so it rises a bit and is then stuffed with a chopped walnut filling that will leave your taste buds singing.

Coursebaking, Cookies
Cuisine Italiian

Servings35

Equipment​

• Food Processor
• Cookie Sheet
• Oven Mitt
• Mixing Bowl(s)
• Dish Towel(s)

Ingredients​

• 2 tbsp warm water between 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour sifted
• 1 cup butter softened (2 sticks)
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup powdered sugar for topping

Nut Filling Ingredients​

• 2 cups walnuts
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla
• ¼ cup milk

Instructions​

• Combine 2 tbsp water, 1 packet yeast and 1 tsp sugar in a small bowl and leave for about 15 minutes until the yeast puffs up and becomes activated.
• Place the 3 cups sifted flour into a large bowl, then add 1 cup softened butter into the flour. Use a pastry cutter or a fork to cut the butter into the flour until it is a bit crumbly.
• Add activated yeast mixture along with 3 egg yolks, 1 cup sour cream, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix with an electric hand mixer until a cohesive dough forms. Do not overmix!
• Cover the mixing bowl with a dish towel. Leave the dough to rest on the counter for 1 hour, then place the mixing bowl in the fridge and allow it to rest for another 4 hours. Alternatively, you can skip the counter resting and simply allow the cookie dough to rest in the fridge overnight.
• Place 2 cups walnuts in a food processor and pulse until they are chopped into small pieces. In a separate, medium-sized bowl, combine the walnuts, ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup milk, and 1 ½ tsp vanilla. Mix well with a spoon and set aside.
• When the dough has finished resting, preheat the oven to 190°C.
• Roll the dough to ⅛” thickness on a floured board. Cut into 3” squares.
• Put 1 heaping tsp of filling in the center of each square.
• Moisten the edges of the pastry with water. Fold one corner over in the center, wrapping the walnut filling. Then fold the other corner as well.
• Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 15 minutes.
• Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Notes​

• Active Dry Yeast: I like using Active, Dry yeast because it is a very easy way to confirm that your yeast is alive. You can use Instant Yeast if you’d like, but there is no way to confirm that your yeast is alive until after the cookies are already baked and it’s too late.
• Sour Cream: I use full fat sour cream for this recipe. I would recommend doing so as well.
• Walnuts: Use unroasted, unsalted walnuts.
• Milk: I used 2% milk. Make sure to use 2% or whole milk for best results.
• Please note that the dough will not visibly rise much while on the countertop or while resting in the fridge. It will, however, rise while baking. If your dough is not rising while baking, it is possible that you rolled it too thin. Cookies that are rolled with dough less than ⅛” thick will have a hard time rising!
• I have never personally tried it, but experimenting with different kinds of nuts (or even a combo) in this cookie would be delicious. Macadamia nuts and pecans are also standing out to me as good options right now.
• Make the filling ahead of time if you need! You can store it in the fridge or even the freezer, and simply thaw it when you are ready to bake.

Nutrition​

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 46mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 229IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg