Walnut

Walnut Biscuits

Make 16, 2-inch squares. 

Flat, thin, crisp, gluten free and so very easy to make, these biscuits remain crisp and delicious stored in a zip lock bag, refrigerated.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1¼ cup walnuts

  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature

  • ½ cup scant measure sugar

  • Grated zest of 1 orange

PREPARATION:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375F. 

  2. Line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper, making sure that the paper extends a little over the rim to make it easier to lift after baking.    

  3. Chop the walnuts coarsely in a food processor. 

  4. With an electric hand mixer, beat the eggs, adding sugar gradually until pale and thick.   

  5. With a rubber spatula fold the orange zest and the walnuts. 

  6. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, tilting the pan to distribute the mixture evenly.  

  7. Bake for about 30 minutes, until firm to the touch.

  8. Cool on a wire rack.

  9. Cut with a serrated bread knife. Do it gently, so the biscuits don’t crack.

 
 

Mini Walnut Tartlets

Makes about 4 dozen.

These bite size treats are easy to make and fun to eat. They are light with a flaky pastry and crunchy filling.

They also freeze well.

DOUGH:

  • 8 Tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

  • 3 ounces chilled cream cheese, cut into small pieces

  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

 FILLING:

  • 1 generous cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped

 OTHER INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

  • 1 generous cup dark brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

TO MAKE THE DOUGH:

  1. Place the butter, cream cheese and flour in a food processor and pulse until the dough clings to the blade.

  2. Turn out the dough into a lightly floured surface and knead into a smooth ball. Cut the dough into 4 pieces, roll each piece into a ball, flatten the ball and dust lightly with flour.

  3. Wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

TO MAKE THE FILLING:

  1. In a measuring cup (it is easier to pour afterwards) whisk the eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla until smooth, about 2 minutes. 

 PREPARATION:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. 

  2. You will need 4 mini-muffin pans, each with 12-depressions, 2 inches in diameter.  

  3. Wait until dough is malleable and work with one piece at a time.  On a lightly floured work surface with a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough as thinly as you can. With a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out circles and place in the UNGREASED muffin pans. Do the same with the rest of the dough.

  4. Fill each tartlet with a ½ teaspoon walnuts, then add 1 teaspoon of the egg-sugar mixture.

  5. Bake for about 25 minutes, the edges should be light brown.

  6. Unmold and cool on a cookie rack.

NOTE:

If you prefer you can roll out the dough between 2 floured sheets of cling wrap.  Scraps of dough can be used as well.

 

Honey Nut Balls

Honey+Balls.jpg

Makes about 6 dozen cookies. 

Easy to make, nutritious and not too sweet, these treats keep well refrigerated or frozen for a long time. 

I store them in a tight-fitting container with wax paper in between the layers.

INGREDIENTS:

  • ½ pound almonds, about 2 cups

  • ½ pound walnuts, about 2½ cups

  • Grated rind of 1 lemon

  • Grated rind of 1 orange

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1 tablespoon orange juice

  • ½ cup honey

  • 3 large egg whites, at room temperature, whisked

  • ¾-1 cup flour

  • Confectioner’s sugar for dusting the cookies

PREPARATION:

  1. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. 

  2. Preheat the oven to 350F. 

  3. Roast almonds and walnuts in a single layer for about 10 minutes.  

  4. Reduce the oven to 250F. 

  5. Chop the nuts coarsely, SEPERATELY IN BATCHES, in a food processor fitted with the steel blade.

  6. Transfer to a bowl with the rinds, juices, honey and egg whites. Mix well.

  7. Add flour gradually, mixing with a wooden spoon to form a thick, but not stiff mixture.  

  8. Roll generous teaspoonfuls of mixture into balls between damp (not wet) palms. You will have to rinse your hands from time to time. Place on the cookie sheets and bake for 20 minutes, until the tops feel firm to the touch. 

  9. Cool on a wire rack and dust with confectioner’s sugar.

 
 

Hazelnut Walnut Biscotti

Makes about 7 dozen.

These biscotti are lovely to have on hand to serve with tea, espresso or coffee. They remain fresh refrigerated in a tight-fitting container with wax paper between the layers.  

INGREDIENTS

  • ¼ pound hazelnuts

  • 3/4 pound walnuts

  • 3 cups sifted unbleached all –purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • Scant ½ cup sugar

  • Scant 1 cup light brown sugar

  • 1½ teaspoon cinnamon

  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten with a fork

  • ½ cup vegetable oil

PREPARATION

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.                    

  2. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the brown skin darkens and cracks slightly. While the nuts are still hot, rub them in a dish towel to remove most of their skins (some skin will remain) . 

  3. Line an 18x13 inch cookie sheet with parchment paper.  

  4. Chop the hazelnuts semi-coarsely in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Transfer to a large bowl. Chop the walnuts, semi-coarsely in 3 batches in a food processor and add to the hazelnuts. 

  5. Sift flour with the baking powder and add to the nuts along with both sugars and cinnamon. Combine well. 

  6. Make a well in the center of the bowl, add the eggs and the oil. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough begins to stick together, then work with your hands to combine. Finally, transfer the dough to a work surface and continue working with your hands to form a smooth rectangle, about 6 by 6 inches (this step may take a while.) 

  7. Cut the dough into 4 equal parts. 

  8. On a lightly floured work surface roll each piece of dough into a 12 x 1 inch smooth log. Lightly flatten the top and square the ends. Place the logs side by side on the cookie sheet, leaving a little space between them.   

  9. Bake for 30 minutes until the tops are firm to the touch.

  10. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cutting board.

  11. While the logs are still warm, cut them with a serrated bread knife into ½ inch slices (do not be discouraged if some biscotti brake, it is the hard nuts that make it difficult to  cut through).

  12. Arrange the biscotti on the same cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes, turn over and bake for another 10 minutes.      

  13. Cool on a wire rack.