Description
Traditional Eastern European walnut-shaped cookies filled with creamy dulce de leche and optionally topped with toasted walnut halves. These crisp, buttery cookies are made using a stovetop mold and are perfect for festive occasions with their charming appearance and irresistible caramel filling.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour (240 g)
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
Filling and Garnish
- 1 cup dulce de leche
- ½ cup walnut halves (toasted, optional)
Instructions
- Cream ingredients: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add wet ingredients: Beat in the egg, sea salt, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Form dough: Stir in the all purpose flour and baking powder with a large spoon or your hands until a stiff dough forms.
- Shape dough balls: Use a teaspoon to scoop dough and roll it into balls, adjusting size as needed to fit your walnut-shaped mold cavities.
- Heat mold and cook cookies: Heat the walnut mold on low heat until piping hot. Place a dough ball into each cavity, close the mold tightly, and cook over low heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes per batch.
- Cool and trim cookies: Remove cookies from the mold and place them on a cooling rack. Trim any uneven edges with a sharp serrated knife for a neat appearance.
- Fill cookies: Pipe or spoon dulce de leche into one half of each walnut-shaped cookie. Optionally, press a toasted walnut half into the dulce de leche for added crunch.
- Assemble cookies: Press the filled halves together to create whole walnut-shaped cookies.
- Finish and serve: Dust the assembled cookies with powdered sugar and enjoy.
Notes
- Walnut-shaped molds are essential for authentic shape and can be found online or specialty kitchen stores.
- Toasting walnut halves enhances their flavor and adds a crunchy texture to the filling.
- If dulce de leche is not available, you can make your own by slowly heating sweetened condensed milk or substitute with caramel sauce.
- Handle dough gently but firmly; the stiff dough is necessary for holding the shape in the mold.
- Cook cookies on low heat to avoid burning and ensure even browning.
- These cookies keep well in an airtight container for several days, making them great for holiday gifting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 70 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 44 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 12 mg
