Ah, Hungarian Nut Roll Cookies—often called Kifli, Diós kifli, or nut roll crescents. These are delicate, tender cookies filled with a sweet walnut mixture and usually dusted with powdered sugar. 🌰🍪
Here’s a traditional, home-style recipe:
Hungarian Nut Roll Cookies (Walnut Crescents)
Ingredients (makes about 30–36 cookies)
For the dough:
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream
- Pinch of salt
For the walnut filling:
- 1 cup (100 g) finely ground walnuts
- 1/3 cup (65 g) sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2–3 tbsp milk (just enough to make a spreadable paste)
For finishing:
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Make the dough
- In a bowl, cut butter into flour and salt until crumbly.
- Mix in sour cream until a soft dough forms.
- Divide dough into 2 discs, wrap, and chill for 1 hour.
- Prepare the filling
- Mix ground walnuts, sugar, vanilla, and milk until thick but spreadable.
- Shape the cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment.
- Roll dough thin on a lightly floured surface.
- Cut into small triangles or rectangles.
- Spread a small amount of walnut filling on each piece.
- Roll up tightly, forming crescents.
- Bake
- Place cookies seam-side down.
- Bake 12–15 minutes, just until set (do not brown).
- Finish
- Cool slightly, then dust generously with powdered sugar.
Tips
- Keep the dough cool—warm dough is harder to roll.
- You can swap walnuts for hazelnuts or almonds.
- These cookies taste even better the next day as flavors develop.
If you want, I can also share a yeast-based Hungarian nut roll cookie version (more like mini beigli) or a chocolate-walnut variation.
