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    Home » Baking » Walnut Cookie Recipe (Traditional Italian)

    Walnut Cookie Recipe (Traditional Italian)

    Published on Nov 27, 2020 Modified: Nov 24, 2020 by Alexandria Drzazgowski. This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

    Jump to 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. 

    Plate of walnut cookies dusted with powdered sugar

    Recipe Origins

    There are a few Christmas cookie recipes that are absolutely traditional in our family. We make them every single year to celebrate Christmas, and even have a family cookbook that houses all of the original recipes. 

    Alongside our family favorite Biscotti Recipe and our Pecan Snowball Cookies, this Walnut Cookie Recipe ranks in the top of our cookie favorites! We make it every single year without fail, and the filling is absolutely to die for. It’s so good! 

    If you like walnuts and that traditional taste of a drier Italian Christmas cookie, this recipe is the way to go! 

    Why Make this Recipe

    1. Bring in the Holiday Spirit: One of my favorite ways to ring in the holiday spirit is to make as many Christmas cookies as my oven can handle (and when my oven can’t handle anymore, then I make these Pizzelle cookies instead). Try out this recipe for a fun and unique holiday cookie that you will love! 
    2. The Walnut Filling: Mmmm I would eat the walnut filling of this cookie recipe by itself if I could! It’s THAT delicious! The walnuts combined with sugar and milk absolutely steal the show on this cookie. Try it out and let me know what you think! 

    What Ingredients are in this Recipe

    Labeled ingredient shot
    1. Active Dry Yeast: I like using Active, Dry yeast because it is definitely 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. 
    2. Sour Cream: I use full fat sour cream for this recipe. I would recommend doing so as well. 
    3. Walnuts: Use unroasted, unsalted walnuts. 
    4. Milk: I used 2% milk. Make sure to use 2% or whole milk for best results. 

    How to Make this Recipe

    Step 1: Activate the Yeast

    Combine water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl and leave for about 15 minutes to activate the yeast. 

    Step 2: Make the Dough 

    Use a pastry cutter or a fork to cut the butter into the four. 

    Add activated yeast along with egg yolks, sour cream, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix with a spoon or spatula to combine. 

    Place the dough in a glass bowl and cover with a dish towel. Leave the dough to rest for at least two hours or overnight. 

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    Step 3: Make the Filling 

    collage showing how to make walnut filling

    Use a nut chopper or a food processor to chop walnuts into small pieces. In a separate bowl, combine walnuts, sugar, milk, and 3 tsp vanilla. Set aside.

    Step 4: Assemble the Cookies

    collage for how to roll out dough for walnut cookie recipe

    When the dough has finished resting, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 

    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 edges of 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! 

    Expert Tips 

    walnut cookies before being baked
    • 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. 

    Recipe FAQs

    Are Black Walnuts Good for Baking? 

    walnut stuffed cookies

    In the United States, it is very common to use English Walnuts in all of our baking recipes. This is the preference of the vast majority of people, so finding another type of walnut in stores tends to be pretty difficult. 

    Black walnuts typically have a stronger, earthier flavor than English walnuts. If you really want to amp up the flavor profile of your cookies, feel free to experiment with black walnuts! 

    Can I Store the Dough in the Fridge? 

    Close up of bite taken out of cookie

    My family recipe used to call for placing the dough in the fridge. Prior to learning best baking practices while practicing for The Foreign Fork, I couldn’t figure out why my dough just wouldn’t rise! 

    You’ll have a really hard time getting dough to rise if you’re storing it in the fridge. Yeast usually needs a warmer environment to truly flourish.

    However, yeast that has already risen will keep well in the fridge, and you can certainly do this for even up to a few days. 

    Did you enjoy this Walnut Cookie Recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes that I picked out just for you: 

    • Italian Pistachio Cookie Recipe
    • Cookie Butter Recipe
    • Sables (Algerian Shortbread Cookies)
    • Fast and Easy Maple Cookies

    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.
    4.67 from 12 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: baking, Cookies
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Resting Time: 2 hours hours
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 40 cookies
    Calories: 178kcal
    Author: Alexandria Drzazgowski

    Equipment

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

    Ingredients

    • 1 package active dry yeast
    • ¼ cup warm water
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 1 cup butter, softened
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
    • 3 egg yolks
    • 1 cup sour cream
    • 4 tsp vanilla extract, divided
    • 4 cups walnuts
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • ½ cup milk

    Instructions

    • Combine water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl and leave for about 15 minutes to activate the yeast.
    • Use a pastry cutter or a fork to cut the butter into the four.
    • Add activated yeast along with egg yolks, sour cream, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix with a spoon or spatula to combine.
    • Place the dough in a glass bowl and cover with a dish towel. Leave the dough to rest in the fridge overnight.
    • Use a nut chopper or a food processor to chop walnuts into small pieces. In a separate bowl, combine walnuts, sugar, milk, and 3 tsp vanilla. Set aside.
    • When the dough has finished resting, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • 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 edges of 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

    Recipe copyright The Foreign Fork. 
     
    • Active Dry Yeast: I like using Active, Dry yeast because it is definitely 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.
    • 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: 1cookie | Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 48mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 204IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @TheForeignFork or tag #TheForeignFork!

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    Baking, Christmas Recipes, Cookies, Dessert, European Union, Italy, Winter Recipes

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    Comments

    1. D D says

      November 12, 2023 at 7:30 pm

      5 stars
      My mother learned this recipe from a woman in Streetsboro Ohio. I’m so glad I found this. Thank you and I just know they’re going to be delicious.

      Reply
      • Kathy says

        November 19, 2023 at 5:05 pm

        Do you have to refrigerate after baking them or can they be left at room temperature?

        Reply
        • Alexandria Drzazgowski says

          November 20, 2023 at 4:38 pm

          They can be left at room temp!

          Reply
    2. Dottie Davenport-Greener says

      October 29, 2023 at 7:35 pm

      Hello!
      How well do these freeze?

      Reply
    3. Andi Havas says

      August 02, 2023 at 4:58 am

      Good day, is the cup 2.5 dl? Thanks!

      Reply
      • The Foreign Fork says

        August 02, 2023 at 10:49 am

        Hi Andi,
        I have never cooked with deciliters so Im not sure, but a quick search on google says that 1 cup is 2.36588 deciliters!

        Reply
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    Hi there! My name is Alexandria. Thanks for stopping by! Spices, ingredients, utensils, techniques… we’ll learn it all, together. Join me for me for struggles and laughs and some crazy concoctions. Learn More...
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