These orange walnut bars (known in Germany as Orangenschnitten) skip the cutters entirely: you just roll, fill and bake. A tender butter crust surrounds a ground nut filling moistened with orange juice, and the whole sheet is glazed while hot and cut into diamonds.
In Germany, similar filled bars called Orangenschnitten are a popular Christmas bake. Roll, fill, bake, glaze and cut, and you are done. Looking for a Christmas cookie you can manage with little effort?
Quick Overview
- What it is: Filled shortcrust bars cut into diamonds, no cookie cutters needed
- Secret trick: Poking bubbles during baking so the top stays flat
- Cost and time: About 30 minutes of active work and inexpensive ingredients
At a Glance
- Prep time: 20 min
- Baking time: 15 min
- Servings: 1 baking sheet (about 45 bars)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Calories: about 95 kcal per bar
- Trend: Christmas favorite
Ingredients
(US cups, with grams in brackets)
Dough
- 2 3/4 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup (150 g) butter, softened
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (75 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder, level
Nut filling
- 1 cup (100 g) ground walnuts or almonds
- 5 tablespoons (60 g) granulated sugar
- juice of 1 orange, as needed
Orange glaze
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (100 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- In a bowl, knead a smooth dough by hand from the flour, softened butter (2/3 cup, 150 g), sugar, egg and baking powder.
- Divide the dough into two halves. Roll out the first half directly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper into a thin sheet.
- Make the filling: mix the ground nuts and 5 tablespoons (60 g) sugar, then gradually add orange juice until you have a spreadable paste.
- Spread the nut mixture evenly over the bottom sheet of dough.
- Roll out the second half of the dough on another sheet of parchment paper to the same size, and use the paper to flip it over onto the nut layer, like a sandwich.
- Bake in an oven heated to 350°F (175°C) (convection) for about 15 minutes, until golden.
- Make the glaze by stirring the powdered sugar with a little orange juice. It should be runny, but not watery.
- Brush the hot bars with the glaze and immediately cut them into diamonds. Do not wait for them to cool!
Video Recipe
Tips for Perfect Orange Walnut Bars
- Watch the oven while baking. If bubbles or humps appear on the dough, open the oven right away and pierce them with a toothpick. The surface must stay flat.
- Roll the top layer on a sheet of parchment folded in half to the size of your pan. That way you hit the exact size, and the dough does not tear when you flip it over.
Variations
- If you do not like oranges, use lemon juice and zest. You will get refreshing “Zitronenschnitten” (lemon bars).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I use margarine instead of butter? Yes. The original recipe lists 125 g (about 1/2 cup) of stick margarine, but the bars are much more tender and tasty with butter (150 g).
Why did my glaze crack when I cut the bars? You probably cut the bars after they cooled. Cut them right after taking them out of the oven, while both the dough and glaze are still warm.
Walnuts or almonds? Both work. Use ground walnuts or ground almonds, whichever you prefer.
How long do they keep? In a closed tin they stay fresh through the holidays, and they make good gifts or cookie-exchange bars.
These bars keep well in a closed tin for the whole holiday season, if your family does not eat them first.
The recipe is based on a version by Einfach Lecker mit Claudia, adapted by the We Cook With Love team.
Enjoy! Try more recipes from our kitchen.
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