Dessert

Cherry Crumb Cake Recipe

July 10, 2020 by Marisa 37 Comments

A deliciously moist and tender Cherry Crumb Cake that is sure to receive rave reviews at your next potluck or barbecue. This easy to make breakfast type cake is crowned with fresh ruby red cherries and a lemon scented, almond crumb streusel topping.

Having a neighbouring outdoor farmer’s market that’s opened 24 hours a day certainly has its perks. Especially coming off work after a late evening shift!

This farmer’s market is in the heart of a bustling metropolis. The fruit and vegetable stands are filled great produce at extremely affordable prices. However, they’re only opened during the Spring to Fall.

With cherry season upon us and outdoor stands brimming with one of summer’s luscious fruits, who can resist the pull to purchase this delectable fruit!

I’d be quite content savouring every juicy bite while basking in the warmth of a beautiful sunny day. However… transforming them into a special baked treat…is definitely the cherry on the cake!

How to Make an Almond Streusel topping for a Crumb Cake

We’ll start first with this almond and lemon scented crumb topping.

Simply combine the flour, sugar, melted butter, sliced almonds, lemon zest, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.

Stir the crumb top ingredients together until the mixture is crumbly. Use your hands to do this as it makes the job a whole lot easier.

Let it chill in the fridge while you pit the cherries.

And if you’re planning ahead, this almond streusel topping can be made and stored for up to 5 days.

How to Pit Cherries

To easily pit the cherries, it goes without saying that a cherry pitter is your best friend here!

But no worries if you don’t have one. You can just as easily quarter the cherries around the pit with a pairing knife.

I find it messier with a knife but it definitely gets the job done!

Once the cherries are all pitted, you can either slice them in half or in quarters. Both are fine for topping the cherry cake.

Set the cherries aside while you prepare the cake batter.

How to Make a Cherry Crumb Cake

With a stand mixer or a hand held mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until fluffy. This should take about 3 to 4 minutes.
If using a stand mixer, make sure to stop occasionally and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Beat in the eggs one at a time while mixing well after each addition.
Mix in both the vanilla and almond extracts.
In a separate bowl, whisk well together the flour, baking powder and salt. This will remove any large lumps.
With mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture while alternating with the almond milk. You can substitute the almond milk with buttermilk or whole milk.
Pour the cake batter into a greased 8 inch springform pan and smooth the top with an off set spatula.

Scatter the pitted and quartered cherries evenly over the cake batter. If they overlap somewhat, it’s totally ok.

Sprinkle the almond crumb topping over the cherries while making sure to spread evenly over the cherries and covering them completely.

Bake the cherry cake for about 1 hour.

Test for doneness with a wooden skewer. If it comes out clean when inserted in the middle, then you’re good.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes.

Then release the cake and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dust the cherry crumb cake with powdered sugar, slice and serve!

This cherry crumb cake has all the makings of a delicious coffee cake. It’s wonderfully soft and dense in texture.

It makes for a lovely contrast with the burst of cherries just beneath the crumbly layer of almond crumble topping.

And there’s definitely some sweet goodness in every bite!

Happy baking!

This recipe was originally published June 23, 2017 and republished with new content and photos July 10, 2020.

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Cherry Crumb Cake

An almond flavoured Cherry Crumb Cake recipe made with fresh cherries. This easy to make cake is crowned with a lemon scented streusel topping.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Breakfast cake, Cherry Crumb Cake, Coffee cake, Streusel cake

Servings:

Calories: 346kcal

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

ALMOND CRUMB TOPPING

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt I used fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

FOR THE CHERRY CRUMB CAKE

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt I used fine sea salt
1/4 cup almond milk substitute with buttermilk or whole milk
1 pound cherries pitted and quartered

Instructions

ALMOND CRUMB TOPPING

Combine all ingredients for the almond crumb topping in a small bowl and stir until the mixture is crumbly.
The mixture can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

CHERRY CRUMB CAKE

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Grease and flour an 8 inch springform pan then line the pan with parchment paper and grease the parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until fluffy. About 3 to 4 minutes.
If using a stand mixer make sure to occasionally stop and scrape the sides of the bowl.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure to mix well after each addition.
Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
With the mixer reduced to low, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture while alternating with the almond milk.
Begin and end with the flour mixture.
Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
Spread the pitted cherries evenly over the cake batter.
Sprinkle the almond crumb topping over the cherries.
Bake the cake for about 1 hour or until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before releasing the cake and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
The cake can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 6 days.

Notes

Recipe is adapted from Bake From Scratch Magazine July/August issue 2017 with a few switch-ups.

I omitted the pecans, lime and fresh ginger to the crumb topping simply for personal taste.

I replaced them with lemon zest and sliced almonds to enhance the almond taste in the crumb topping.

Also I substituted the buttermilk with almond milk because that's what I usually have readily on hand. And what I found is that it complements the almond flavour of the cherry cake quite well.

But feel free to use buttermilk or whole milk if you prefer.

Nutrition

Crespella with Nutella and Berries

July 3, 2020 by Marisa 18 Comments

This Crespella with Nutella recipe is an Italian oven baked pancake filled with fresh strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. It makes a perfect weekend indulgent breakfast or even brunch!

When we lived in the country, up in the Laurentians, we had these patches of wild strawberry bushes growing roadside which stretched for miles and miles.

The fruits looked like miniature versions of the store bought strawberries. They were also way smaller and sweeter than the more cultivated strawberries sold at markets today.

Whenever my nieces would come up and stay for the weekend we would happily trek down the hill to gather bowls full of these sweet little berries to serve alongside our crespella. All the more delicious enjoyed with their company!

What is a Crespella

A crespella is simply the Italian version of a french crêpe.

They can be rolled up, folded or even stacked together with either a savoury or sweet filling.

You don’t need a special crêpe pan to make this crespella. In fact any 12 inch oven proof pan will do.

This Italian crêpe recipe is my favourite way to use up Quebec strawberries which are exquisitely sweet and full of flavour.

In a pinch you can use any other favourite fruit of yours.

How to make an Italian Crespella with Nutella

For all the Nutella lovers who are looking for yet another way to enjoy their favourite chocolate hazelnut spread, you’re going to love this recipe.

You can turn just a few simple ingredients into something so delicious and spectacular looking that will surely please every member of your family.

And with this oven baked crespella, with its tender middle and crispy edges, no flipping is required!

So first, let’s start by preheating the oven to 450 degrees F.

If the handles of your frying pan are not oven proof, no worries! You can simply wrap the handles with aluminum paper to protect them.

While the oven preheats, mix all your ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.

Add the butter to the pan and allow to melt in the preheated oven.

Once the butter has melted, carefully pour the batter into the pan and bake for 20 to 22 minutes.

The crêpe will puff up prettily as it bakes and very impressively I might add. Much like a dutch baby pancake.

But once it’s removed from the oven it quickly deflates, creating a crevice to hold all the fresh juicy berries.

I find it has such a rustic appeal all on its own. However, once dusted with powdered sugar…then filled with berries…and topped with a drizzle of warm Nutella…it’s elegant enough for special company!

Nutella Drizzle for Crêpes

Warm the Nutella by heating it up in the microwave in 15 second intervals, until you achieve a drizzling consistency.

Alternately you can also thin it out by stirring some milk into it. Try it with a teaspoon at a time until you get a drizzling consistency.

I would not use almond milk as it has a high water content and might seize the chocolate.

You can serve this Italian crespella for breakfast, brunch or for just about anytime you need a quick and fuss free dessert!

Happy Baking!

More berry goodness recipes:

This recipe was originally published July 15, 2015 and republished June 3, 2020 with updated content and photos.

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Crespella with Nutella and Berries

Crespella with Nutella, a thin Italian pancake similar to french crêpes and topped with fresh strawberries, raspberries and blackberries.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time22 mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: crêpes, Crespella with Nutella, dutch baby pancake, Italian crespella recipe, Italian pancake

Servings:

Author: Marisa

Equipment

12 inch oven proof skillet

Ingredients

3/4 all purpose flour
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ounce Grand Marnier liquor or brandy
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups of fresh berries strawberries, raspberries and blackberries
powdered sugar for dusting
1/2 cup nutella heated for drizzling (see notes below)

Instructions

Place a 12 inch ovenproof pan in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 450*F.
In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, salt, milk and whisk all ingredients together.
When the oven reaches 450*F add the butter to your pan and heat in the oven till the butter turns golden, for about 1 minute.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. The crespella will puff up and look golden brown when ready.
When ready place the pan on a rack and let the crespella cool for about 5 minutes. It will quickly start to sink (and that is ok).
Dust with powdered sugar, place the mixed berries over the crespella and drizzle with the warm Nutella.

Notes

Warm the Nutella by heating it up in the microwave in 15 second intervals, until you achieve a drizzling consistency.

If you wish you can also thin it out by stirring some milk or cream into it. Try it with a teaspoon at a time until you get a drizzling consistency.

I would not use almond milk as it has a high water content and might seize the chocolate.

Nutrition

Baci di Dama: Italian Hazelnut Cookies

June 18, 2020 by Marisa 27 Comments

Baci di Dama are melt-in-your-mouth Italian hazelnut cookies. This easy to make recipe is an eggless based dough made with finely ground hazelnuts and nestled together with a dollop of dark sinful and silky chocolate.

Baci di Dama literally translates to lady’s kisses and these light and delicate hazelnut morsels are one of Italy’s famous cookies. They were made popular by the pastry shops of Tortona in the province of Alessandria which is in the Piemonte region of Italy.

Small wonder at that as hazelnuts from Piemonte are said to be the very best and also legally protected as “Nocciola Piemonte I.G.P“.

Although the history of Baci di Dama is somewhat hazy, what people most agree upon is that they resemble sensual lips pursed together while longingly bestowing a kiss on a loved one. The chocolate being the glue that softly binds a lovers lips together.

Italians are quite the romantic, are they not? Rhetorical question here!

How to make Baci di Dama

This recipe for baci cookies is really easy to make and your food processor will pretty much do all the work for you.

You’ll first need to grind your hazelnuts to a very fine texture and doing so with a little bit of sugar will ensure it doesn’t turn into a nut butter.

The remaining sugar is combined with the flour, salt and softened butter in a separate bowl and this mixture is worked into coarse crumbs.

This flour and butter mixture is then added into the food processor with the finely ground hazelnuts. You’ll then pulse with the food processor till the dough comes together in a dense mass. And now your cookie dough is formed!

Once your dough is ready you’ll need to chill it for at least 2 hours. There is no use trying to roll the cookie dough while it’s at room temperature. It will not roll into a firm ball!

Before chilling your dough, divide it into 4 equal portions. Wrap each portion individually with cling wrap and refrigerate it for a couple of hours. Or, if planning ahead you can also chill it overnight.

How to Shape Baci Cookies

The colder the dough is, the easier it is to roll.

Work with one portion of the dough at a time while keeping the remaining dough chilled.

Either scoop out small pieces of dough with a teaspoon or slice sections with a pastry cutter and then into small cubes. I find the latter easier to do because it’s quite a stiff dough.

Then simply roll the pieces of dough to the size of a hazelnut in its’ shell.

Once all the balls of dough are formed, you’ll need to chill them once again for at least 2 hours. Or if pressed for time, you can freeze them for 30 minutes.

You can chill or freeze the little dough balls directly on your parchment lined baking tray. This extra chilling time will ensure they don’t spread out and flatten.

Once baked they’ll have these cute rounded tops with an over all light golden brown colour.

How to Assemble the Baci Cookies

When ready to assemble the cookies, first try to match them in sizes.

I pair them on a cookie sheet while leaving one of the two turned over.

You can either spoon a dollop of melted chocolate on the flat side of the cookie or use a piping bag to do the job much quicker.

Top with a second hazelnut cookie, same in size, and press slightly together to form a sandwich. Then simply allow the chocolate to set before serving.

To speed up hardening of the chocolate, you can chill the assembled cookies for about 20 minutes or so. This ensures the hazelnut sandwich cookies stay intact.

With a lovely crumbly texture these classic Italian cookies are wonderfully fragrant which are largely due to the roasted hazelnuts.

After biting into one of these delicate cookies, I found them to be very reminiscent of the Baci chocolates. Whereas, my hubby insists that they are far more similar in taste to the Ferrero Rocher.

You’ll most certainly have to bake them and decide for yourself!

TIPS ON MAKING PERFECT DOMED SHAPED BACI DI DAMA

Make sure to finely grind the hazelnuts with the 2 tablespoons of sugar so that it doesn’t turn into a nut butter.
Chill the dough in the coldest part of your fridge at least two hours. Or, plan ahead and chill overnight.
Roll the cookie balls into the size of a hazelnut in its shell then chill for an additional 2 hours. If you’re short on time freeze the rolled cookies for 1/2 hour directly on the baking trays.
Bake one cookie sheet at a time at a low temperature of 300 degrees F, while keeping the remaining cookies well chilled.
Do not over bake the cookies as this will change the texture of the cookie. Remember we want them to be melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
The cookies are very fragile once out of the oven so do not touch them. They will break easily and will turn into a crumbled heap if you try to lift them off the cookie tray while still hot.
Allow to cool on the cookie sheet placed over a cooling rack.
Make sure they are completely cooled before filling with the melted chocolate.
Use a piping bag filled with the melted chocolate to fill the sandwich cookies. This works much quicker and less messy as well.
Allow yourself plenty of time and never rush a good thing! They are so worth it!

If you love sandwich cookies as much as I do, you’ll also enjoy these Butterball Cookies. They’re nut free cookies filled with a seedless raspberry jam and rolled in an aromatic vanilla sugar concoction for a sparkly appeal.

Both the Italian Baci di Dama and Butterball cookies make a lovely addition to any cookie platter!

Happy baking!

This recipe was first published January 30, 2017 and republished June 18, 2020 with updated photos and content.

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Baci di Dama, Italian Hazelnut Cookies

Baci di Dama or Lady's kisses are melt-in-your-mouth Italian hazelnut cookies nestled together with a dollop of dark silky chocolate.

Prep Time1 hr

Cook Time13 mins

Course: Cookie, Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Baci cookies, Baci di Dama, Italian Hazelnut cookies

Servings: cookies

Calories: 49kcal

Author: Marisa

Equipment

Food Processor

Ingredients

1 cup roasted hazelnuts
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
a pinch of salt I used fine sea salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

Place the hazelnuts with 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar in a food processor. Process until the hazelnuts are finely ground. (leave in food processor).
Combine the remaining sugar, flour, a pinch of salt and the softened butter in a medium bowl.
Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to work this mixture just until the butter is evenly distributed and resembles clusters of streusel topping.
Add the flour and butter mixture to the hazelnut mixture in the food processor. Pulse till the dough comes together in a dense mass.
Divide the dough into 4 equal portions.
Wrap the dough in saran wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. (I chilled my dough for 4 hours). The dough should be very cold and firm.
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Unwrap the disk of dough and cut 1/2 inch strips.
Working with one strip at a time, cut the strip into 1/2 inch pieces of dough and roll each piece into smalls balls about the size of a hazelnut in its shell.
Place the balls on the parchment lined cookie sheet while spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Once you have filled one cookie sheet, place it in the fridge and repeat with the remaining cookie balls.
Chill the rolled cookies for about 1 hour or if pressed for time freeze for 1/2 hour.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Bake one sheet at a time for about 13 minutes. They should look light golden brown in colour.
Place the cookie sheet onto a cooling rack and let cool completely. Repeat with the second cookie sheet.
Let the baked cookies cool completely before filling with the melted chocolate.
When ready to assemble the cookies place the dark chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and melt it on high for about one minute stopping to stir at 30 second intervals.
Use a small spoon or fill a piping container with the melted chocolate and put a dollop of chocolate on the flat side of a cookie.
Top (flat side down) with a second cookie while pressing down slightly to form a sandwich.
Repeat with the remaining cookies.
Store in a cool dry place.

Notes

This recipe for Baci di Dama was adapted from the cookbook, Dolci Italy's Sweets by Francine Segan with a few modifications.

I increased the amount of hazelnuts to a full 1 cup as this gave me an overall drier dough to work with and less flattened cookies as an end result.

I added a pinch of salt to sweeten the flavors. A little goes a long way in doing so!

Also, I baked the cookies at a lower temperature for an overall light golden brown cookie which yielded melt-in-your-mouth cookies.

Nutrition

Tarallucci al Limone: Italian Lemon Knot Cookies

June 10, 2020 by Marisa 70 Comments

Tarallucci al limone are traditional Italian lemon knot cookies from southern Italy. They were very popular at weddings as they symbolize two people “tying the knot” in holy matrimony.

Today you will find them mostly at holidays and family gatherings. You’ll also find other shapes, such as the twist or a single ring form such as the ciambelle cookies.

They were not a typical cookie from my childhood, however most Italian families have a version of these tarallucci al limone.

My first encounter with these soft lemon cookies came from a local bakery and I fell in love with them at first bite! I set out to replicate them at home. However, after a few enquiries, I quickly came to realize that there are many ways to make them.

Some use butter or crisco shortening and others a vegetable oil.

The first time I tried them, I had opted for an oil based cookie and really have never looked back since.

They turned out soft, ever so tender and with a sweet lemon kick.

How to make Tarallucci al Limone: Italian Lemon Knot Cookies

These Lemon knot cookies are pretty simple to make and with ingredients you probably already have on hand.

Start by whisking together the flour, baking powder and the salt in a medium sized bowl.

Then with a stand mixer or a hand held mixer you’ll beat the eggs and sugar together.

Next in are the oil, cream, vanilla, lemon zests and juice while mixing until combined.

Add in the flour mixture and mix til thoroughly combined.

How to form knots for Italian Lemon Cookies

You can start forming the knots as soon as your tarallucci dough is ready, however if your dough is too soft simply cover it with a plastic wrap and set it aside for 15 minutes.

This will make it easier to roll out and it bears mentioning that the dough is very forgiving. So if you mess up the knots at the beginning, simply re-roll them!

Start by scooping out pieces of dough slightly smaller than a golf ball.

With lightly floured hands, roll the piece of dough out to about 7 inches long.

Twist the dough to form a loop while inserting one end through the loop to form a knot.

Place them about 2 inches apart on your cookie sheet allowing them room to grow.

They don’t spread out too much but puff up rather prettily. When they’re ready they’ll look pale golden in colour with a slight browning on the outer edges.

My oven tends to darken cookies on the outer edge of the baking sheet. However it didn’t change the overall texture of the darker cookies.

Once the tarallucci cookies have cooled, dip them in a lemon glaze and place them on a wire rack to allow the excess glaze to drip off.

Make sure to place the wire rack over a baking sheet to catch all that drip.

Tarallucci can also be topped with sprinkles of your choice. But all you really need to adorn this simple Italian cookie is a luscious lemon glaze.

I love them just the way they are! Easy to make and oh so delicious!

And if you love lemon cookies as much as I do then you’ll adore these Lemon Ricotta Cookies. They’re an Italian classic cookie. So soft and with a melt-in-your-mouth bite!

This recipe was first Published June 19 2016 and republished June 10 2020 with updated content and photos.

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3.13 from 8 votes

Tarallucci al Limone: Italian Lemon Knot Cookies

Tarallucci al Limone are Italian lemon knot cookies and extremely easy to make. These soft to the bite cookies are dipped in a luscious lemon glaze.

Prep Time45 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Course: Cookie

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Italian lemon knot cookies, lemon cookies, tarallucci al limone

Servings: cookies

Calories: 133kcal

Author: Marisa

Equipment

Baking Sheets
Parchment paper

Ingredients

LEMON COOKIE DOUGH

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
generous pinch of salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup canola oil vegetable or sunflower oil is also fine
1/4 cup cream I used 15% cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ½ tablespoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice

LEMON GLAZE

2 1/2 cups icing sugar
5 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
With a stand mixer or hand held mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together for about 1 minute.
Add the oil, cream, vanilla extract, the lemon zest, lemon juice and mix until combined.
Mix in the flour mixture beating for 1 minute til the dough is thoroughly combined.
The dough will be soft and tacky but still easy to work with.
Transfer the dough to a work surface.
Cut off pieces of dough, slightly smaller than a golf ball and roll out into a log about a 1/2 inch wide and 7 inches long.
I start rolling the dough between the palm of my hands while keeping my hands lightly dusted with flour. And then finished rolling the dough out to 7 inches on a work surface.
Twist the dough to form a loop inserting one end through the loop while forming a knot.
Place on the prepared cookie sheet;
Repeat with remaining dough, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
I was able to fit 12 onto each pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes. When done the cookies should be pale in colour with lightly browned edges.
Let cool on wire rack.

LEMON GLAZE

In a medium size bowl, whisk together the icing sugar and lemon juice.
Transfer the lemon glaze to a smaller bowl for easy dipping.
Dip cookies one at at time in lemon glaze, letting excess glaze drip off.
Place cookies on cookie rack till glaze is completely set.

Notes

The original recipe was published on June 19, 2016.

I've revised the recipe and republished on June 10, 2020 with a few switch ups to ensure success in your own kitchens.

The flour amount was increased to 3 1/2 cups

I've decreased the oil to 1/2 cup.

I added 1/4 cup of cream.

And I've also added a tad more lemon zest.

You should have a soft and slightly tacky dough to work with and perfectly manageable to shape and knot.

Keep stored in an airtight container.

Cookies freeze extremely well.

Nutrition

Cinnamon Walnut Croissant Cookies

May 23, 2020 by Marisa 2 Comments

These buttery and flaky Cinnamon Walnut Croissant Cookies are made with a sour cream based dough and greatly resemble mini pastries. They’re little morsels filled with a sugar, cinnamon and nut mixture and never fail to please. A dusting of powdered sugar is all that’s needed to dress up these mini croissant cookies.

There are probably as many names to this type of croissant-like cookie as there are ways in which to make them. And this, I was soon to discover.

Years ago I set out to replicate the ones my mother-in-law diligently made for her family every holiday occasion as her hand written recipe book detailed the ingredients but not the instructions.

My mother-in-law’s croissant cookies were the prettiest cookies ever! Tiny twirls of goodness both flaky and crisp, packed with a sugar nut mixture and the unmistakable scent of cinnamon!

Hubby would literally pop them in his mouth as though they were popcorn!

Rugelach, Rogaliki, Italian Butterhorns

I was soon to learn that the cookies greatly resembled the Jewish pastry called Rugelach. A cream cheese based dough with a variety of fillings but most notably with a poppy seed filing.

Rogaliki, on the other hand is a Polish jam-filled croissant cookie similar to the Russian Rugelach.

This recipe however is more in tune with Italian Butterhorns made with a sour cream based dough recipe and a filling of cinnamon, walnuts and sugar mix.

But since we’ve always referred to them as little croissant cookies for many years, that’s what we continue to call them.

How to make Cinnamon Walnut Croissant Cookies

This is a big batch recipe which you can absolutely break down in half. But you’ll probably not want to because they’re simply too irresistible!

And besides, you can easily freeze half of the dough to bake at a later time.

Start by creaming the softened butter for about 30 seconds then add the sugar and mix til light and fluffy.

Then mix in the egg yolks with the sour cream until well combined. The mixture will have a curdled appearance and that’s totally ok.

You’ll then stir in the flour and salt to the butter and sour cream mixture until the flour is fully incorporated. It’s really all there is to preparing the dough. Pretty simple right?!

At this point the dough is quite sticky and needs to chill before rolling it out.

You can divide the dough in two portions. Shape it in 2 disks, wrap it in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or even overnight if you’re planing ahead.

But what I prefer doing is dividing the two disks of dough in quarters. So I’ll have 8 disks of dough chilling in the fridge till ready to use.

And next my friends is where the magic begins!

How to Shape Perfect Mini Croissant Cookies

I’ve been making these cookies for well over 25 years and I can easily work with 4 discs of dough at a time.

However, if you’re new to this type of cookie, I strongly urge you to work with 1 disc of dough at a time while keeping the remaining dough chilled.

When you’re ready to shape the pastry dough, dust your work surface and your rolling pin with flour.

Roll the dough out to a 10 inch circle while keeping the work surface and rolling pin dusted with flour to prevent sticking.

Brush the dough with melted butter and top with an even layer of cinnamon and nut sugar. You can use your hands to spread it evenly.

Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough in a neat criss cross pattern to form 4 wedges. Then slice each wedge into 4 triangle shaped pieces. You should have 16 pieces for each disc of dough.

How to Roll Cinnamon Walnut Croissant Cookies

Start rolling the cookie dough from the widest end. Roll into a croissant-like shape.

Transfer the cookies to a parchment lined cookie sheet while spacing them about an inch apart. Make sure to have the end of the twirled cookie facedown on your cookie sheet.

I used 2, 14×20 cookie sheets and I’m able to fit 60 plus cookies onto each.

However, if your cookie sheets are smaller, you’ll probably need 4 baking sheets for this amount of cookies.

Bake the croissant cookies in a preheated oven for approximately 22 to 25 minutes.

I rotate my baking sheet half way through baking for even browning as the back of my oven tends to brown a lot quicker.

Aren’t they a thing of beauty? Even without the powdered sugar!

They turn out all golden brown with caramelized bottoms, flaky crusts and with wonderful aromas permeating throughout the kitchen.

You’ll need to allow them to cool on a cooling rack. And then a simple dusting of powdered sugar dresses them up so prettily.

But really, not that it needs much embellishment. They’re simply perfection!

Can You Freeze Sour Cream Cookie Dough?

This sour cream based cookie dough freezes beautifully. And that’s a good thing since this is a large batch cookie dough.

Simply halve the cookie dough and then quarter the dough into 8 separate discs. Wrap the 8 discs individually with cling wrap and place them in a freezer bag.

Freeze for up to 1 month. Then when ready to use, you can thaw the cookie dough overnight in the fridge.

Or bake half the batch of cookies and freeze the remaining half for another occasion.

Big batch cookie dough recipes like these croissant cookies are perfect for large gatherings such as Baby or Bridal Showers. Also for Weddings and Baptisms too.

They’ll dress up any dessert table quite beautifully!

But they’re also great for gift giving as well.

After all, who wouldn’t love a platter of these elegant pastries?!

Big Batch Cookie Recipes

If you’re pretty much into big batch baking as I am then you’ll also love these cute little Ciambelle Cookies. They’re Italian lemon scented ring cookies that you can decorate with any sprinkle of your choice. It yields approximately 6 dozen cookies.

Another favourite and quite popular cookie on the blog is this Italian Mostaccioli Cookie Recipe. It’s a traditional Italian cookie made with the addition of ground almonds and dipped in chocolate. It yields approximately 6 1/2 dozen cookies.

Happy baking and until the next recipe!

Print Recipe

Cinnamon Walnut Croissant Cookies

Cinnamon Walnut Croissant Cookies also known as rugelach or rogaliki are buttery and flaky little morsels rolled in a walnut, sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time24 mins

Shaping filling and rolling the cookies1 hr 30 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cinnamon cookie, Cornetti, croissant cookie, nut cookie, pastry cookie

Servings: cookies

Calories: 74kcal

Equipment

Two 14x20 baking sheets or Four 11x17 baking sheets
Pizza cutter to slice dough into wedges

Ingredients

Croissant Cookie Dough

454 grams butter softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks from large eggs
500 mL sour cream
4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt I used fine sea salt

Walnut Sugar and Cinnamon Mixture

1 ¼ cup walnuts
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
3 ½ tablespoons cinnamon
2/3 cup melted butter
powdered sugar for dusting over the baked cookies

Instructions

Croissant Cookie Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter for 30 seconds.
Mix in the sugar, while beating for about 1 minute till light and fluffy.
Next, mix in the egg yolks and sour cream till well incorporated. (It will look curdled and that's fine)
Switch to "stir mode" on the stand mixer and stir in the flour and the salt until the flour is thoroughly combined. (If not using a stand mixer, stir with a wooden spoon)
Divide the dough in half then each half into 4 pieces.
So you'll end up with 8 pieces of dough.
Wrap each piece in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Or chill overnight.
Meanwhile prepare the cinnamon, sugar and nut mixture.

Walnut Sugar and Cinnamon Mixture

In a food processor, pulse together the walnuts, granulated sugar and cinnamon, until you have a very fine mixture.
Divide the mixture equally in 2 separate bowls. (you'll be using 1 cup of mixture for each 4 discs of dough) This will ensure it's evenly divided.
Set the mixtures aside till you're ready to roll and shape the croissant cookies.

Filling the Croissant Cookies

Working with one disc of dough at a time, on a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 10 inch round circle. (To facilitate rolling flour your rolling pin as well)
Brush the rolled out dough with some of the melted butter making sure to brush the entire surface.
Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and nut mixture over the buttered dough. (for each disc of rolled out dough, I sprinkle about 4 generous tablespoons of cinnamon nut mixture)
Cut the dough in a criss cross pattern of 4 equal wedges and then each wedge in 4 triangle slices. (you'll end up with 16 wedges)
Starting at the wide end, roll up each wedge into a crescent roll.
Transfer the cookies to parchment lined cookie sheets, placing them 1 inch apart.
Repeat with the remaining dough.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F, for about 22 to 25 minutes or til golden brown in colour.
Allow the cookies to cool before dusting with the powdered sugar.

Notes

Note: Prepping the dough and the nut filling should take approximately 30 minutes.

Chilling time: Minimum 2 hours or even overnight if planning ahead.

Rolling and filling the cookies: The entire batch takes me approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to roll out, fill the cookies with nut mixture, cutting into wedges and finally rolling into croissant cookies.

Nutrition