I make these Italian Nut Roll Cookies when I want that old-school bakery tray look: golden spirals of tender pastry wrapped around a sweet walnut-cinnamon filling and finished with a snowy dusting of powdered sugar. I mix a simple sour-cream dough that bakes soft and flaky, then roll it around a rich nut filling so every slice shows off those pretty, swirled layers.
Why I love making these
I start with a no-egg dough built from flour, butter, salt, and sour cream because it bakes up tender, a little bit tangy, and easy to roll without cracking. I chill it in four pieces so it’s firm enough to handle but still pliable, which makes it perfect for rolling into thin rectangles and spiraling around the filling. For the center, I stir finely ground walnuts with sugar, cinnamon, milk, vanilla, and sometimes honey so the mixture is thick, spreadable, and full of deep nutty flavor that doesn’t leak out in the oven.
When I assemble, I roll each dough ball into a thin sheet, swipe on a modest layer of filling, and roll from the long edge so I get a tight, even log. Sometimes I slice the log into 1‑inch pieces before baking so the spirals fan out just a little as they puff; other times I bake the logs whole and slice them after for cleaner edges and fewer gaps. Once the cookies cool, I sift powdered sugar over the top and watch them transform from plain rolls into something that looks like it came from a holiday pastry box.
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