When it comes to delicious and traditional Italian desserts, nothing beats the irresistible charm of Italian walnut pillows, known as "Cuscini di Noci". These delightful pastries have captivated taste buds for generations, with their unique combination of crunchy walnuts, sweet ricotta filling, and a dusting of powdered sugar. Whether you're a seasoned baker or a novice in the kitchen, embarking on a culinary journey to create these Italian walnut pillows is an experience that promises both satisfaction and indulgence.
Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!
WALNUT-FILLED PILLOWS
These tender cookie pillows, filled with a delicious walnut mixture, are my husband's favorite. He says it wouldn't be Christmas without them. -Nancy Kostrej, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 40m
Yield 28 cookies.
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In a large bowl, cut butter and cream cheese into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Blend mixture together until smooth dough forms, about 3 minutes. Pat into a rectangle; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. For filling, combine the walnuts, sugar, milk and vanilla. , Unwrap dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 17-1/2x10-in. rectangle; cut into 2-1/2-in. squares. Place a level teaspoonful of filling in the center of each square. Moisten edges with water; fold in half and seal with a fork. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Brush with egg. , Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 84 calories, Fat 6g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 20mg cholesterol, Sodium 45mg sodium, Carbohydrate 6g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 1g protein.
ITALIAN WALNUT PILLOWS
With Christmas just around the corner I am getting out all my recipes for my Christmas baking. This is my favorite time of the year. This is a wonderful italian cookie stuffed with nutty goodness. Its a true favorite in my family and hopefully you will give it a try and make it one of yours!
Provided by Deneece Gursky @Smokeygirlxo
Categories Other Appetizers
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- In a large bowl cream together sugar and Crisco. Then add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
- In a sperate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Alternating between the flour mixture and milk,add these to the sugar mixture, start and end with flour mixture. Be sure that all the ingredients are well mixed.
- Now split the dough into four equal pieces and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour or 2, in order to make the dough easier to work with.
- WALNUT FILLING:Mix together the walnuts and the sugar. Then add the melted butter to this. Mix well breaking up any large chunks or lumps. Then add the egg whites to this and mix well. Seperate filling into four equal amounts.
- Assemble: Roll out dough one piece at a time into a rectangle about 6 x 18 inches. Spread 1/4 of the walnut filling on top of this, taking it almost to the edges. Roll in jelly roll fashion and pinch the ends to seal.
- Cut your walnut roll into 1 inch slices and transfer to a greased cookie sheet.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. (the tops should be just beginning to brown a bit)
- Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool completely.
- (repeat with remaining 3 pieces of dough and filling)
- Icing: Mix all ingredients until the right consistancy. (only add milk 1 t at a time) Icing should be thick enough so that it doesnt run but yet is still spreadable. Frost the top of each cookie when they are completely cooled.
MOZZARELLA PILLOWS
Provided by Giada De Laurentiis
Categories appetizer
Time 55m
Yield 16 tarts
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Special equipment: scalloped ravioli cutter
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the marinara sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook until reduced to a thick, jam-like consistency, about 30 minutes. There should be 1 1/2 to 2 cups of reduced sauce. Let the sauce cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Stir in the mozzarella cheese and prosciutto.
- Meanwhile, place 1 piece of dough on a work surface. Roll the dough out gently until you can cut an 8 1/2 by 9 1/2-inch rectangle. Press the scraps into a small rectangle and roll it out to the same thickness as the other rectangle. Cut 3 rectangles from the large rectangle and 1 rectangle from the small rectangle. Each should measure 8 1/2 by 3 inches. Continue rolling and cutting the remaining pie dough.
- To form the tarts, place the rectangles on a work surface. Brush each rectangle with egg wash. Place a large spoonful of the marinara mixture in the middle of the bottom half of the rectangle. Fold the dough in half over the marinara mixture to make a 3 by 4-inch rectangle. Press the edges to seal. Using a scalloped ravioli cutter, trim the rectangles to make a decorative edge. Place the tarts on the baking sheets. Brush with egg wash and generously sprinkle with cheese. Bake until golden, about 20 to 25 minutes.
WALNUT-FILLED PILLOWS
These tender cookie pillows, filled with a delicious walnut mixture, are my husband's favorite. He says it wouldn't be Christmas without them.
Provided by Allrecipes Member
Time 40m
Yield 28
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In a large bowl, cut butter and cream cheese into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Using your hands, blend mixture together until smooth dough forms, about 3 minutes. Pat into a rectangle; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. For filling, combine the walnuts, sugar, milk and vanilla.
- Unwrap dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 17-1/2-in. x 10-in. rectangle; cut into 2-1/2-in. squares. Place a level teaspoonful of filling in the center of each square. Moisten edges with water; fold in half and seal with a fork. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Brush with egg. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 92.9 calories, Carbohydrate 8.7 g, Cholesterol 18.8 mg, Fat 6 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 1.4 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, Sodium 35.5 mg, Sugar 4.1 g
WALNUT-FILLED PILLOWS
These tender cookie pillows, filled with a delicious walnut mixture, are my husband's favorite. He says it wouldn't be Christmas without them.
Provided by Allrecipes Member
Time 40m
Yield 28
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In a large bowl, cut butter and cream cheese into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Using your hands, blend mixture together until smooth dough forms, about 3 minutes. Pat into a rectangle; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. For filling, combine the walnuts, sugar, milk and vanilla.
- Unwrap dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 17-1/2-in. x 10-in. rectangle; cut into 2-1/2-in. squares. Place a level teaspoonful of filling in the center of each square. Moisten edges with water; fold in half and seal with a fork. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Brush with egg. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 92.9 calories, Carbohydrate 8.7 g, Cholesterol 18.8 mg, Fat 6 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 1.4 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, Sodium 35.5 mg, Sugar 4.1 g
CUCCIDATI ITALIAN WALNUT PILLOWS
Cuccidati is an Italian cookie usually featuring a fig filling. I prefer them with the walnut filling. These are perfect cookies to entertain, make for a wedding or some kind of special occasion, I like to just make them because they are yummy and I also like to sometimes drizzle chocolate over the top.
Provided by Annamaria Settanni McDonald @ArtByASM
Categories Cookies
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream together the sugar and shortening. Add the egg and vanilla and combine well. Add in the remaining ingredients, alternating between the flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture and making sure all of the ingredients are well incorporated. The dough will be soft. Divide the dough into four even pieces, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.
- To make the filling, either process the nuts through a food processor until finely chopped (just a smidge larger than all-out ground), or chop by hand. The smaller the pieces, the better. Combine the chopped nuts with the sugar and then add in the melted butter. Mix well, making sure there are no large clumps. Add the egg whites and again, mix well.
- On a well-floured surface, roll out a piece of dough into a rectangle measuring about 6 inches by 18 inches. Spread ¼ of the nut filling onto the dough, leaving a small border around the perimeter of the dough. Roll up as you would a jelly roll, with the short ends to the left and right of you, and seal the ends. Cut the roll into 1-inch pieces and place on the cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are just slightly starting to turn brown. Cool completely. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough and remaining filling.
- Once the cookies are cooled, prepare the icing by mixing together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk to achieve the desired consistency. You'll want the icing to be thick enough to not be runny, but still easily spreadable. Ice the tops of the cookies and let set completely before storing in an airtight container.
- You can use the icing or drizzle melted semi sweet chocolate on top.
Tips:
- Mise en place: Before you start cooking, make sure you have all the ingredients and equipment you need. This will help you stay organized and avoid scrambling.
- Use high-quality ingredients: The quality of your ingredients will greatly affect the taste of your dish. Whenever possible, use fresh, organic ingredients.
- Don't overmix the dough: Overmixing the dough will make the cookies tough. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
- Chill the dough before baking: Chilling the dough will help the cookies hold their shape and prevent them from spreading too much.
- Bake the cookies until they are golden brown: The cookies should be golden brown around the edges and just set in the center.
- Let the cookies cool completely before serving: The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool.
Conclusion:
Italian Walnut Pillows are a delicious and festive cookie that is perfect for any occasion. They are easy to make and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. With their sweet, nutty flavor and delicate texture, these cookies are sure to be a hit at your next party or gathering.
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