Grandma’s Christmas Nut Horns
These crescent-shaped pastries combine a flaky, yeast-raised dough with a rich walnut filling, then finish with a snowy dusting of powdered sugar. A holiday classic in many Eastern European families.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 4 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for rolling
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
- 1 packet active dry yeast 2 1/4 teaspoons
- 1/4 cup warm milk 60 ml
- 1 cup sour cream 230 g
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 g
For the filling
- 3 cups finely ground walnuts 300 g
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 g
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For finishing
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar 60 g
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir the yeast into the warm milk and let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour and salt. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Whisk the sour cream, egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, and the yeast mixture together. Stir into the flour mixture until a soft dough forms.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, shape each into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
- For the filling, stir the ground walnuts, 1 cup sugar, egg whites, and vanilla together until it forms a thick, spreadable paste.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a floured surface, roll one disk into a thin 9-inch circle. Spread with a thin layer of filling and cut into 8 wedges.
- Starting at the wide end, roll each wedge up toward the point. Place on the baking sheet with the point tucked underneath and curve slightly into a crescent.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden on the bottom. Cool on a wire rack and dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
A helpful tip: work with one dough disk at a time and keep the remaining disks in the refrigerator. The cold dough is easier to roll and holds its crescent shape better during baking.