Description
Delight in these traditional Hungarian Nut Roll Cookies featuring a flaky, cream cheese-infused crust enveloping a rich, sweet, and crunchy walnut filling. These cookies are rolled, filled with a caramelized walnut mixture, and baked to golden perfection, offering a perfect balance of creamy, nutty, and sweet flavors in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
Filling
- ½ pound walnuts (finely ground)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup whole milk (boiled)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
Additional
- ½ cup granulated sugar (for rolling dough logs)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and kosher salt. In another bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and unsalted butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the flour mixture to the cream cheese and butter, mixing until a soft dough forms. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.
- Make the Walnut Filling: In a saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, boiled whole milk, finely ground walnuts, and melted butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and becomes caramel-like. Allow the walnut filling to cool to room temperature.
- Form the Cookie Logs: Divide the chilled dough into manageable portions. Roll each portion into thin logs, then roll each log in granulated sugar to coat the surface. Flatten each sugared log gently and spread an even layer of the walnut filling over the surface.
- Roll and Seal: Carefully roll the filled dough logs back into a tight log, ensuring the edges are sealed well to prevent the filling from leaking during baking.
- Bake the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the rolled logs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for approximately 12 minutes or until the exterior is lightly golden and the crust is flaky.
- Cool and Slice: Allow the nut roll logs to cool completely before slicing into individual cookies. This step helps maintain the flaky texture and prevents the filling from oozing out.
Notes
- These Hungarian Nut Roll Cookies have a flakey, cream cheese crust wrapped around a homemade walnut filling.
- The filling is sweet, crunchy, and caramelized around the edges, providing a delightful texture contrast.
- Chilling the dough ensures easier handling and better texture of the pastry.
- Use finely ground walnuts for the best consistency in the filling.
- Allow cookies to cool thoroughly before slicing for clean cuts and presentation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 132 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 41 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 16 mg
