Updated January 23, 2020
These walnut shaped cookies look pretty and taste delicious like in a childhood. With caramelized condensed milk it is hard to stop eating these walnut cookies that are shaped like nut shells. Simple oreshki recipe that you will want to make again and again!
So these are sweet cookies that everyone will enjoy! This is a Slavic oreshki recipe, made with soft cookie, walnuts and Dulce de Leche or caramelized condensed milk. Who will resist such sweet treats? These cookies with condensed milk are perfect for Easter, Christmas and school events to make a treat for a crowd.
This recipe makes about 40-50 walnut shaped cookies, depending on the size of the molds and thickness of oreshki cookies. I’m sure you will love these cookies with condensed milk! It’s an easy recipe, if you follow the steps in this post. I hope this cookie recipe will become your family favorite!
Sweet memories about walnut shaped cookies
Walnut cookies bring my childhood memories. We had holidays every winter, when everyone had to cook something and bring it at school festive fair. Every year I cooked walnut shaped cookies with my mum, and every time the bowl was empty in just few minutes! Everyone loved them at the fair!
Condensed milk in oreshki recipe
In the childhood we had to boil the usual condensed milk for caramelization, so it becomes thicker and gets brown color. But, you know, it could explode during the cooking, and it needed time to cool down too.
Now it’s available in store, be sure to grab “caramelized condensed milk” or “boiled condensed milk”, it should be the right consistency, but not runny!
How to boil condensed milk
However, if you plan to boil condensed milk, just remove the labels, put the unopened can of regular condensed milk in a medium saucepan. Fill it with water, so it covers the can completely. Bring to the boil, then simmer on a medium heat for 1.5-2 hours, ensuring it is covered with water. Let it cool, then open the can! The time of boiling depends on fat content in your condensed milk. If it has 8% fat, you can cook it 1.5 hours, if 8.5%, then you should boil for 2-2.5 hours.
It is easy to make caramel with condensed milk, you will need just a little time to cook and let it cool, that’s it.
Walnut mold cookies
It is a really easy cookie recipe, but you will need walnut shape pan or walnut shaped cookie molds to make it. There are plenty variations available online.
There are different molds and also electric cookie makers called Oreshnitsa. You can find walnut mold online and I highly recommend electric one, because it is easier to use.
How to make walnut shaped cookies
I will show you a step by step process. You can also use this cookie dough to shape other delicious cookies!
Start by making the cookie dough:
1. Place egg yolks with sugar in a small bowl.
2. Whisk egg yolks with sugar until combined.
3. In a bigger bowl lightly whisk egg whites.
4. Mix baking soda with vinegar in a small glass
5. Add soda-vinegar mixture to egg whites.
6. Add yolk mixture to egg whites and mix until all combined.
7. Start adding flour in batches.
8. Mix in all the flour and swith from whisk to wooden spoon, when cookie dough becomes thicker.
9. Add softened butter.
10. Mix in butter until fully incorporated.
11. Add more flour, if needed to reach the right consistensy
12. Shape the dough into the disc, then wrap it in plastic and leave for 15 minutes. You can place it in the fridge to use later. Store up to 6 days in the fridge, wrapped.
Now it’s time to shape walnuts! You will need 1/2 of the dough to start. Leave the other half wrapped in the fridge, while you make these walnut cookies. I find this the easiest way to shape best walnut cookies!
1. To use the dough, tear a small part of the dough and roll the ball in your hands.
2. Place the ball in a cookie mold.
3. Press the dough with your finger around the cookie mold, so it comes out from the edges of the molds.
4. Press it in the center of the cookie. It should be around 3mm thick.
5. Shape all the cookies the same way!
6. Bake cookies in a preheated 170 C / 350 F hot oven for 10 minutes until edges are slighly brown and cooked in the middle.
7. With a sharp knife, cut the edges of the cookies smooth.
8. Fill every half of the walnut with a teaspoon of caramelized condensed milk, put 1/4 of walnut and close the nut shells!
How to store cookies with condensed milk
Cookies with condensed milk are ready to enjoy! Store them in the fridge for up to 1 week. Store them in room temperature, if you plan to eat them all within a day.
These are perfect treats for a crowd, especially for holidays and school events like Easter or Christmas. Lovely food gift with a surprise inside!
So shortcrust pastry and caramelized condensed milk – nothing wrong with it! Simple, lovely, sweet taste. Every kid will be happy, and adults as wall! So make a plenty of them for gifts and sharing sweet treats!
If you’re looking for more desserts with caramel condensed milk, you should check our No Bake Banoffee Pie!
Walnut Shaped Cookies
- 1 big bow and 2 smaller bowls
- Whisk and a spoon
- Oven
- Walnut shaped cookie shells or walnut shape pan
- ¾ cups butter softened at room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs medium
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp vinegar
- 1-2 tins caramelized condensed milk (Dulce de Leche)*
- 1 handful walnuts optional
- Preheat the oven to 170 C / 350 F.
- Whisk 2 egg whites in a large bowl.2 eggs
- In a separate bowl mix baking soda with vinegar.1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp vinegar
- Add the soda-vinegar mixture to the egg whites, whisk together.
- In another bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar.½ cup sugar
- Incorporate the egg yolk and sugar mixture with whisked egg whites.
- Gradually add 1 cup of flour.3 cups all-purpose flour
- Add soft butter, and the rest of flour. Combine with spatula or spoon.¾ cups butter
- Knead the dough. Shape it into the disc, wrap and leave the dough for 15 min in the fridge.
- Divide the dough into the small pieces. Roll between your palms to make a ball.**
- Put the dough ball in the walnut shell and push with your fingers. You should make thin skin on each walnut shell and cover the sides, because it will shrink, when baking.
- Make all the shells and bake for 8-10 min until golden. Let the shells cool. Bake the second batch.
- Remove cookies form the shells. Using a very sharp knife, carefully cut down the edges of cookie to make it look smooth.1-2 tins caramelized condensed milk (Dulce de Leche)*, 1 handful walnuts
- Fill shells with caramelized condensed milk, add a half of walnut in the middle. Close cookies, gently pressing together. Use your fingers to wipe around the center excess condensed milk.
A clever and tasty looking cookie! Great tips for how to make it come out just right.
Thanks so much, David!
These are so cute and creative. I love the walnut cookie concept. Best option for gifting too.
Absolutely! You can surprise anyone with these lovely walnut cookies with condensed milk.
This is such a smart idea, they look incredible!! Totally going to try the recipe on the weekend 🙂
Yay! Let us know how you like it. I think it is a great weekend food project.
I had some of these when I visited Eastern Europe. They were amazing and so pretty to look at. Yours look great!
Thank you! These little sweet treats are truly delicious, everyone loves them!
These look incredible!! So realistic! I honestly wouldn’t know these were cookies if you didn’t tell me! My husband would devour these!
Haha, thank you! You need to make these easy cookies and surprise your husband one day!
I love walnut in desserts and I am loving the shape of these!
These look almost like real walnuts 🙂