Oreshki - crumbly walnut-shaped cookies baked in a special mold and filled with chewy dulce de leche (boiled condensed milk) - are a beloved childhood treat all across Eastern Europe. The dough comes together from pantry staples, and one batch yields a whole mountain of cookies. My absolute favorite sweet since childhood - dedicated to everyone who owns a walnut cookie mold!
Oreshki: Walnut-Shaped Cookies with Dulce de Leche
Ingredients
Method
- Cream the softened butter with the egg and sugar until smooth.
- Slake the baking soda with vinegar or lemon juice, add it to the butter mixture and mix again.
- Sift in one cup of flour and stir it in. Then gradually add the remaining flour and knead a smooth dough.
- Pinch off pieces of dough about the size of half a walnut and roll them into balls. For a classic stovetop mold make them bigger - the size of a whole walnut; electric makers have smaller cavities.
- Grease the mold before the first batch, place the dough balls in the cavities and bake the shells until done.
- Remove the baked shells, let them cool, then trim the excess edges with a knife to neaten the shape.
- Fill the shells with the boiled condensed milk and press them together in pairs. If you like, tuck a piece of walnut into one of the halves.
- That's it - help yourself and enjoy!
Notes
Tips for perfect oreshki
- Butter must be truly soft - take it out of the fridge ahead of time so it creams smoothly with the egg and sugar.
- Slake the baking soda with vinegar or lemon juice before adding it - this prevents any off taste in the cookies.
- Sizing the dough balls: for a classic stovetop mold roll balls the size of a whole walnut; for an electric maker go smaller, about half a walnut - its cavities are smaller.
- Grease the mold only before the first batch - after that the shells release on their own.
- Don't toss the trimmings left after tidying up the shells - fold them into the dulce de leche for an even better filling.
The filling: which toffee to use
The classic filling is boiled condensed milk (very close to dulce de leche). You have two options: cook regular sweetened condensed milk at home until thick and caramel-colored, or do what I do and buy ready-made boiled condensed milk. For a fun surprise, tuck a piece of walnut into one of the shells before joining them.
FAQ
Can I make oreshki without the special mold?
Sadly no - the signature "walnut shell" shape only comes from an oreshnitsa mold, either stovetop or electric. The dough itself is versatile: you can bake it as simple cookies in the oven, but that becomes a different dessert.
How should I store the finished cookies?
In a sealed container at room temperature they keep well for several days - they actually get more tender as the filling softens the shells. Unfilled shells keep even longer: bake them ahead and fill just before serving.
Leave a Reply