Walnut Horn Cookies

Total Time Prep: 35 min. + chilling Bake: 20 min./batch

Yield about 8 dozen

At our house, it wouldn't be Christmas without these Pennsylvania Dutch cookies, which are known locally as kiffels. —Sharon Allen, Allentown, Pennsylvania

Ingredients

1 pound butter, softened
11 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 large egg yolks
4-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
FILLING:
4 cups ground walnuts (about 1 pound)
5-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
4 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

In a large bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, egg yolks and flour; beat until smooth. Shape into 1-in. balls; place in a container with waxed paper separating each layer. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
For filling, combine walnuts and 3-3/4 cups sugar (the mixture will be dry). In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into nut mixture. Add extracts and a few drops of water if necessary until filling reaches a spreading consistency.
Place remaining sugar in a bowl; roll cream cheese balls in sugar until completely covered. Place a few balls at a time between two sheets of waxed paper.
Roll balls into 2-1/2-in. circles. Gently spread about 2 teaspoons of filling over each. Roll up; place seam side down on ungreased baking sheets. Curve the ends slightly. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

Nutrition Facts

2 cookies: 237 calories, 15g fat (7g saturated fat), 46mg cholesterol, 103mg sodium, 24g carbohydrate (14g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein.

At our house, it wouldn't be Christmas without these Pennsylvania Dutch cookies, which are known locally as kiffels. —Sharon Allen, Allentown, Pennsylvania

Recipe Creator