Ingredients I use
For the dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sour cream
For the filling
- 2 cups finely ground walnuts
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup milk (more if needed to loosen)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional: 2–3 tablespoons honey for a richer, stickier filling
To finish
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
How I make Italian Nut Roll Cookies
I make the dough first. In a large bowl, I whisk together the flour and salt so the seasoning is evenly distributed. I cut in the softened butter with a pastry cutter, two knives, or the paddle attachment of my mixer until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter. Then I add the sour cream and mix just until a soft dough comes together; at this point it might look a bit shaggy, but it should hold when I press it together. I turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it very gently, just enough to make it smooth without overworking it.
I divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, shape each into a disk, flatten slightly, then wrap them and refrigerate them for at least an hour. When I have time, I let them rest overnight so the gluten relaxes fully and the dough rolls out more easily.
While the dough chills, I mix the filling. In a medium bowl, I combine the ground walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon. I stir in the milk, vanilla, and honey, if I’m using it, until the mixture is thick, moist, and spreadable. I adjust the texture as needed: if it looks dry or crumbly, I add a splash more milk; if it seems loose or runny, I add a bit more ground walnut so it won’t ooze out during rolling.
When I’m ready to assemble, I preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper. I take one dough disk from the fridge and leave the others chilling while I work. On a lightly floured surface, I roll the dough into a thin rectangle about 1/8 inch thick; I trim the edges if I want very even logs. I spread a thin, even layer of the walnut filling over the surface, leaving a small border at the far long edge so the filling doesn’t squeeze out as I roll. Starting from the long side closest to me, I roll the dough into a tight log, gently lifting and rolling so I don’t stretch or tear the dough. I place the log seam-side down on a prepared baking sheet.
For slice-before-baking cookies, I take a sharp knife and cut the log into about 1‑inch pieces, keeping them close together on the sheet but not touching, so they hold their shape and support each other as they rise. If I want a simpler approach, I leave the logs whole, bake them as rolls, and plan to slice them after baking and cooling.
I repeat the process with the remaining dough balls and filling until all four logs are rolled and placed on the sheets. Then I bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 18–22 minutes, watching for the edges and tops to turn lightly golden while the centers stay pale. If I’m baking the logs whole, I sometimes need the full time; if I’m baking pre-sliced pieces, I start checking a little earlier.
When they come out of the oven, I let the cookies or logs cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. If I baked whole logs, I slice them into 1‑inch pieces while they’re just warm or once they’ve fully cooled, using a sharp serrated knife for cleaner spirals. Once the cookies are cool, I dust them generously with powdered sugar, which settles into the crevices and makes them look instantly festive.
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