Here’s a traditional Hungarian Christmas Walnut Cookies recipe — these are often called Diós kifli (walnut crescents) or Diós karácsonyi sütemény, and they’re a staple on Hungarian holiday tables 🎄🌰
🇭🇺 Hungarian Christmas Walnut Cookies (Diós Kifli)
Makes about 40 cookies
🧈 Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ½ cup (60 g) ground walnuts
- ¼ cup (50 g) powdered sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Coating
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 packet vanilla sugar (or 1 tsp vanilla mixed with sugar)
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Make the dough
- In a large bowl, mix flour, ground walnuts, powdered sugar, and salt.
- Cut in cold butter using fingers or a pastry cutter until crumbly.
- Add egg yolks and vanilla.
- Knead gently until a smooth dough forms.
- Wrap and refrigerate 30–60 minutes.
2. Shape the cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.
- Roll small pieces of dough into logs (about 2½ inches long).
- Shape into small crescents and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
3. Bake
- Bake 12–15 minutes until bottoms are lightly golden (tops stay pale).
4. Coat in sugar
- While still warm, gently roll cookies in powdered sugar mixed with vanilla sugar.
- Let cool completely; roll again for a thick coating.
✨ Tips & Variations
- Authentic texture: Do not overbake — these should melt in your mouth.
- Extra flavor: Add a tablespoon of rum or lemon zest to the dough.
- Storage: Keeps 2–3 weeks in an airtight tin; flavor improves over time.
- Filling version: Some families fill them with sweet walnut paste before shaping.
🎄 Hungarian Tradition
These cookies are usually baked weeks before Christmas, stored in tins, and served with coffee, tea, or mulled wine. They’re a symbol of warmth, abundance, and celebration.
If you’d like, I can also give you:
- Filled walnut cookies (Diós linzer)
- Walnut roll (Bejgli)
- Modern bakery-style walnut crescents
Just tell me 😊
