Walnut Biscuits (Nusskipferl)

Walnut Biscuits are another example of delicious Austrian cookies. The preparation of the dough is very straightforward, it does take some time though to form the biscuits but only because the below recipe involves making loads of them!

When the dough is prepared, it should rest in the fridge for at least half an hour but it can stay there even overnight, as the dough is much easier to handle when it is cold and hard. Once you take a portion to roll a half-moon, try to do so as fast as you can because the dough gets soft very quickly and then it is difficult to form desired shapes. The biscuits are extremely soft when they are just taken out from the oven but they become harder as they cool down.

Because with this recipe you will make a lot of the Walnut Biscuits and also since after they are baked, they should cool down on the baking trays, the best idea would be to use at least 3 baking trays. That way when the first batch cools down and the second one is in the oven, you can make biscuits for the third tray. If you don’t have so many baking trays, it is not a problem; it will just take a bit longer to bake the cookies.  Using the best vanilla sugar available to coat them in, assures getting an almost heavenly experience - soft biscuits that melt in your mouth.

INGREDIENTS:

220g ground walnuts,

220g plain flour (plus extra for dusting),

110g caster sugar,

220g soft butter,

2 egg yolks.

icing sugar mixed with vanilla sugar for coating baked biscuits.

METHOD:

1. In a food processor mix walnuts, flour and sugar.
2. Add diced butter and whiz everything together; add the egg yolks, whiz again till all is combined.
3. Transfer onto a plate dusted with flour, cover with cling film; leave it in a fridge for at least 30 minutes.
4. Preheat an oven to 180 degrees (or 160 for fan oven); put baking paper into baking trays.
5. Form biscuits: take a heaped teaspoon of the dough and roll it in a palm of your hand into a half-moon (approx. 3-4 cm diameter).
6. Put biscuits on a baking tray, leave some space around them, bake for 10-12 minutes.
7. Leave the baked biscuits on the tray till cool; coat them in icing and vanilla sugar.