The ultimate walnut cookies – crispy on the outside, and chewy on the inside, with a strong nutty, cinnamon taste – only 3 ingredients but a ton of flavor, these are easy to make and sure to please everyone!
With Christmas only 7 days away, I bet we’re all spinning our wheels tirelessly, running a million and one errands that somehow pile up more than ever at this time. I realize I have only one weekend to complete my Christmas shopping! It also has to be the weekend when we bake our annual batch of Christmas cookies to give away. It’s a sweet little tradition we have – first, I let the kids make their gingerbread cookies, and go crazy decorating their creations. These are the cookies that don’t tempt me at all (mostly due to the icing on top). I patiently wait till the kids get tired of cookie making and decorating, and then it’s my turn to whip up a few batches of family favorites, and maybe try some of those new cookie recipes that have been piling up in my Pinterest boards. Mine usually tend to focus more on taste, rather than looks, so be warned.
This year, at the top of my cookie list was this childhood favorite – the ultimate walnut cookies. With only 3 main ingredients, these are quick to make and they taste incredible. As simple as it may sound (just egg whites + sugar + walnuts), it’s been tricky for me to make them, mostly because I’ve been trying to recreate the exact taste and texture of the cookies I remember from my childhood. Granted, my memory dates back to the last century, so you can say this attempt is pretty much doomed to failure ;).
Back in the day, these were probably the most popular commercially sold cookies. Nobody made those at home -hence, the lack of a tried and true recipe passed from generation to generation. They sold the freshly baked cookies by the piece at the local bakeries, and I remember how crispy on the outside, and slightly chewy on the inside they were, with a strong nutty cinnamon flavor.
I’ve tried making them without a particular recipe, just going by instinct and whipping up egg whites with sugar and walnuts, similar to how you make meringues. But even though they always turn out delicious, they never quite resemble the original. I’ve browsed the web for a good recipe but surprisingly, 3 ingredients could create endless recipe variations!
The recipe I found this time had a different method of making, which got my attention – maybe THIS was the original recipe, and maybe THIS time I would get it right. I quickly made a batch – the scent of cinnamon and vanilla mixed with the aroma of toasted walnuts filled the house almost immediately, and I could hardly wait for them to cool a bit before I took a bite. And then a second bite…And then a few more cookies… And I have to say, THIS is the recipe that best resembles the walnut cookies from my childhood memories! They were delicious – crispy, yet chewy, nutty and cinnamon-y, sweet little perfections.
Since this is a meringue batter, with the addition of walnuts only, the technique is similar to making meringues. Normally, meringues are baked at a low temperature for a long period of time which makes them very crispy and dry. But if you increase the temperature and bake them for only 10 minutes, they have a gooey interior but still crisp up on the outside. That’s the trick here as well. It really depends how you like them. Either way, the taste is fantastic.
For those of you who have nostalgic memories of these walnut cookies (a.k.a ореховки), I urge you to make them and tell me if these are up to par! For those who’ve never tried the original, I am sure you will love them (as you don’t have anything to compare to 😉 !
Happy Christmas cookie making!
The ultimate walnut cookies - crispy on the outside, and chewy on the inside, with a strong nutty, cinnamon taste - only 3 ingredients but a ton of flavor, these are easy to make and sure to please everyone!
- 250 g finely ground walnuts (2 cups, well packed) + 50g roughly chopped (optional)
- 200 g powdered sugar (1.5 cups, well packed)
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 3 egg whites (100g)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- pinch of salt
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In a food processor, pulse 250 g of the walnuts (about 2 full cups) for a few seconds until they resemble fine crumbs. Separately, roughly chop the other 50 g and reserve.
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Heat a pot of water on the stove to a simmer
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Put your egg whites in a metal bowl, place bowl over the simmering water and beat with a hand mixer until the egg white are frothy and almost stiff.
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Reduce heat, and add the sugar gradually, a few tablespoons at a time, while continuing to beat. Add the finely ground walnuts, cinnamon, vanilla, and a pinch of salt, and beat over the water for another 5 minutes. Add the roughly chopped walnuts at this point.
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Remove from heat, and let cool completely.
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Preheat oven to 365° F (180° C), and line a couple of cookie sheets with parchment paper
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Scoop about 2 tbs of the dough, and with wet fingers form small balls, about an inch in diameter. Slightly flatten them on top.
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Bake for 10 minutes. Let dry.
please tell me how many cups of finely ground walnuts – 2 cups? How much is 50 g of roughly chopped walnuts in cup conversion? Also the powered sugar of 200 g is that 1 cups of sugar? please help me with the conversions to cup measurements I have been searching for years for this recipe as in Saginaw Michigan I bought these at a bakery. They would not give out the recipe. All of my friends have been trying to duplicate them no success. Please help
Hi Christine,
Thank you for your comment, and apologies for the confusion! I did not give the volume measurements on purpose, as it really would depend on how well you pack your cups, and how finely ground your walnuts are, but if you don’t have a digital scale, I understand your frustration. 250 g ground walnuts (the consistency of fine bread crumbs) are about 2 well packed cups. 200 g powdered sugar equal 1 1/2 well packed cups. I hope you like the cookies!
Thanks, Viktoria – I will be making them soon. Walnuts were on sale so I stocked up. I do not own a digital scale so I appreciate the suggestions.