These hollow walnut cookies are a Slovak Christmas favorite: incredibly tender, full of walnut flavor and, thanks to a special sugar ratio, puffed up in the oven so they stay hollow inside.
The dough has no eggs, which makes it friendly for people with egg allergies. If you are looking for walnut cookies that slide out of their molds by themselves, you are in the right place.
How do you make hollow cookies?
The secret to the hollow center is the large amount of powdered sugar combined with baking soda. You simply press the dough into dry, ungreased metal molds. In the oven the dough clings to the walls and the center puffs up, leaving the typical cavity.
At a Glance
- Prep time: 20 min
- Baking time: 10 min
- Servings: about 50 to 60 cookies (depending on mold size)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: about 85 kcal per cookie
- Trend: Retro / Egg-free / Long shelf life
Ingredients
(US cups, with grams in brackets)
Dough
- 3 1/3 cups (400 g) powdered sugar (do not reduce)
- 2 1/2 cups (250 g) finely ground walnuts
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 sticks (250 g) butter, 82% fat, slightly softened (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking soda
Chocolate glaze
- 5.3 oz (150 g) dark chocolate (over 50% cocoa)
- 3 1/2 tablespoons (50 g) vegetable shortening or refined coconut oil
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients. Sift the flour and powdered sugar into a large bowl. Add the ground walnuts and baking soda and stir well.
- Make the dough. Add the sliced, slightly softened butter and work the dough with your hands. It will be crumbly at first, but the warmth of your hands brings it together. It should be stiff and a little crumbly; do not add any liquid.
- Fill the molds. Take out your metal crescent cookie molds. Do not grease or flour them. Press pieces of dough into the molds until full, leaving the center slightly dipped. Level off the excess dough with your thumb.
- Bake. Set the molds on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 340°F (170°C) for about 9 to 10 minutes.
- Watch the color. The cookies must stay pale, at most a light cream color. If they turn brown, they will taste bitter.
- Release them. While still warm (or after they cool), tap the edge of each mold lightly on a cutting board. The cookies should fall out on their own.
- Decorate. Melt the chocolate with the shortening in a double boiler. Dip the ends of the cooled cookies into the glaze and let them set on a wire rack.
Video Recipe
Tips for Perfect Hollow Walnut Cookies
- Why so much sugar? 400 g (3 1/3 cups) sounds crazy, but it is chemistry. The sugar combined with the baking soda makes the dough stick to the mold walls so an air pocket forms inside. If you cut the sugar, the cookies will be solid and hard.
- Do not grease the molds. The dough is fatty enough. In a greased mold it would slide down the walls and never form the hollow.
- Flour note. The Slovak recipe calls for medium-coarse flour, which gives a slightly sandier crumb. All-purpose flour is the closest US equivalent; the cookies may be a little less sandy.
Easy Variations
- Coconut: Replace the walnuts with finely shredded coconut.
- Cocoa: Add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder to the dough (and use 1 tablespoon less flour) for a darker version.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Why won’t my cookies come out of the molds? The molds were probably wet or not washed well, or the cookies were underbaked and are still sticky. Try tapping the mold edge lightly on the board.
- Which flour should I use? The Slovak original uses medium-coarse flour, whose coarser texture helps tenderness. In the US, all-purpose flour is the closest match, though the crumb may be slightly less sandy.
- How do I store hollow walnut cookies? Keep them in a tin in a cool, dry place. They stay crisp and tender for weeks.
- Can I bake them ahead for Christmas? Yes. They keep so well that you can bake them early in December and dip the ends in chocolate later. You can also freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
- Can I use other nuts? The recipe also works with finely shredded coconut instead of walnuts, as in the variation above.
These cookies are a jewel of Christmas baking. They keep well, so you can bake them well in advance and pack them into tins for gifts or a cookie exchange.
The recipe is based on a traditional version by LiViera Desserts, adapted by the We Cook With Love team.
Enjoy! Try more Christmas recipes from our kitchen.
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