Description
Walnut cookies (Oreshki) are traditional Eastern European treats shaped like walnuts, featuring a crisp buttery shell filled with creamy dulce de leche and optionally topped with toasted walnut halves. Cooked on the stovetop using a special mold, these festive cookies offer a delightful combination of crunchy texture and rich caramel flavor, perfect for holiday celebrations or any special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
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 Topping:
- 1 cup dulce de leche
- ½ cup walnut halves (toasted, optional)
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add egg and flavorings: Beat in the large egg, sea salt, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Prepare the dough: Stir in the all purpose flour and baking powder using a large spoon or your hands. Mix until a stiff dough forms.
- Form dough balls: Use a teaspoon to scoop portions of dough and roll them into balls, adjusting size based on your mold's requirements.
- Heat and cook the dough: Preheat the walnut-shaped mold on low heat until piping hot. Place a dough ball into each cavity, close the mold tightly, and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool and trim cookies: Remove cookies from the mold and place them on a cooling rack. Trim any uneven edges carefully with a sharp serrated knife.
- Fill the cookies: Pipe dulce de leche into each cookie half. Optionally, press a toasted walnut half into the center for added crunch.
- Assemble and finish: Join two cookie halves together to create walnut shapes. Dust the completed cookies with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- Use a special walnut-shaped mold designed for stovetop baking of these cookies; molds can usually be purchased online.
- If dulce de leche is too thick for piping, warm it slightly to soften for easier filling.
- To toast walnuts, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned.
- Be gentle when trimming cookie edges to keep the shape intact.
- These cookies can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container for several days.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute butter with plant-based margarine and ensure dulce de leche is dairy-free.
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
