Traditional Italian Nut Roll Cookies

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Absolutely! Here’s a BIG, rich, traditional-style Nut Roll Cookie recipe—a sweet treat loaded with heritage, flavor, and family warmth. We’ll go all out: introduction, ingredients, history, lovers, methods, conclusion—the whole cookie tray 🍪.

🌰✨ Traditional Italian Nut Roll Cookies (Auntie’s Style) ✨🌰

💌 Introduction

These Italian Nut Roll Cookies are the kind of dessert that feels like family. Delicate, buttery pastry hugs a sweet, spiced walnut filling—and every bite is a cozy reminder of holiday kitchens, laughter, and powdered sugar smiles.

They’re not just cookies—they’re a tradition. These are the first to vanish from the cookie platter, and for good reason: they’re soft, rich, aromatic, and timeless.

📜 History

Nut rolls, or nocciolati in some Italian dialects, have roots throughout Southern and Eastern Europe. The version you’re about to bake is closest to the Italian-American holiday cookie tradition, where old-world techniques meet butter-rich doughs perfected in modern kitchens.

Passed from nonnas to aunts to you—this recipe honors that lineage.

🧾 Ingredients

Dough:

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup sour cream (full fat, cold)

Walnut Filling:

  • 2 cups finely ground walnuts (preferably toasted)
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 egg white (lightly beaten)
  • 2 tbsp milk or cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Optional: zest of ½ an orange or lemon

Topping:

  • 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Make the Dough

  • In a large bowl or food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar.
  • Add the cold butter and cut it in until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolk, vanilla, and sour cream.
  • Add wet to dry ingredients and mix just until it comes together.
  • Divide dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours (or overnight for deeper flavor).

2. Make the Walnut Filling

  • Combine walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl.
  • Stir in egg white, milk, vanilla, and citrus zest if using.
  • Mix until it forms a thick, spreadable paste.

3. Roll and Fill

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Roll out one disc of dough on a floured surface into a 12×8” rectangle.
  • Spread a thin layer of walnut filling evenly over the dough, leaving a ¼” border.
  • Gently roll from the long edge into a tight log (like a jelly roll).
  • Chill log for 15 minutes in the freezer to firm for slicing.

4. Cut and Bake

  • Slice the log into 1-inch cookies and place on the prepared baking sheet.
  • Brush tops with beaten egg for a glossy finish.
  • Bake for 18–22 minutes or until golden brown at the edges.
  • Let cool completely, then dust generously with powdered sugar.

❤️ Methods for the Lovers of Cookies

✨ For the Dough Lovers:

Want it flakier? Swap sour cream for cream cheese. Want richer? Add an extra yolk. Chill, rest, and treat your dough gently.

✨ For the Nut Lovers:

Mix it up! Walnuts are traditional, but pecans, hazelnuts, or pistachios are also glorious. Add a touch of honey or espresso powder for depth.

✨ For the Sweet Lovers:

Drizzle with a vanilla glaze, dip one edge in chocolate, or fill with apricot preserves alongside the nut filling for extra complexity.

🏛 Formation

Cut in spirals like pinwheels. Arrange beautifully in tins with wax paper. Store in the fridge or freeze for long-term joy. These cookies last up to 2 weeks chilled, 3 months frozen (if they make it that long!).

🥰 Lovers of Nut Rolls Unite

This recipe is for the cookie platter curators, the nostalgic bakers, the family-recipe keepers. For those who love the smell of butter browning, spices warming, and the quiet of a snowy baking day. For the ones who gift cookies wrapped in ribbon and powdered sugar love.

🎁 Conclusion

These Italian Nut Roll Cookies aren’t just treats—they’re edible heirlooms. Simple ingredients transformed into something magical. And once you make them, you become part of the story, carrying the recipe forward.

So go on—bake with intention, fill your kitchen with the scent of tradition, and share with those who matter most. 💛

Let me know if you’d like a gluten-free version, a visual step-by-step guide, or to scale the recipe for a crowd!

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