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Ingredients
- Walnut Cookies
- 2 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
- 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground ginger
- 6 ounce(s) (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 ounce(s) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup(s) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup(s) packed light-brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon(s) walnut liqueur, such as Nocello
- Confectioners’ sugar, for mold
- Chocolate-Walnut Filling (recipe follows)
- Chocolate-Walnut Filling
- 3 ounce(s) (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup(s) confectioners' sugar
- 1 1/2 ounce(s) (1/2 cup) walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
- Pinch of salt
- 5 ounce(s) semisweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
Preparation
Step 1
Directions
To make the cookies: Whisk flour, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a medium bowl. Beat butter, cream cheese, and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in yolk and walnut liqueur, then add flour mixture, beating until just combined. Form dough into a 1-inch-thick disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Using a dry pastry brush, generously dust a walnut springerle mold with confectioners’ sugar. Cut a piece of dough about the size of the mold. Press dough into mold with fingers, working from center. Gently coax dough out of mold with fingertips and onto a baking sheet, and trim edges with a knife. Repeat, spacing cookies 1 inch apart on sheets and cleaning mold often. Freeze for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake cookies until set, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
To make the filling: Cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in walnuts and salt until combined. Beat in chocolate. Use immediately. Makes 1 1/4 cups, enough for 25 cookies.
Once cookies are cooled, pipe or spread 1 teaspoon chocolate-walnut filling on flat side of 1 cookie. Press flat side of another cookie onto filling to sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Cookies will keep, covered, for up to 2 days.