Slovak Nut Horns Recipes

HORN WALNUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, beat 1 cup butter and the cream cheese until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Gradually add flour, beating until mixture forms a ball. Divide dough into four portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 12-in. circle. , Melt the remaining 1 teaspoon butter. In a large bowl, combine walnuts, 3/4 cup sugar, milk, vanilla, salt and melted butter. Spread over circles. Cut each into 12 wedges. Roll up wedges, starting from the wide ends., Place point side down on greased baking sheets. Curve ends to form crescents. Bake until lightly browned, 35-40 minutes. Remove to wire racks., Place remaining sugar in a small shallow bowl. Roll warm cookies in sugar.

KIFLES (NUT ROLLS OR HORNS)

Steps:

• Combine nuts, sugar and vanilla.
• Fold in egg whites; set aside.
• Put flour into a large bowl.
• Add the yeast to the egg yolks in a small bowl and let soften.
• Cut butter into the flour until crumbly.
• Add egg yolks and yeast and sour cream.
• Mix well until it forms a smooth ball.
• Form into 10 balls and chill.
• Mix 1 cup granulated and 1 cup powdered sugar.
• On counter top, sprinkle a spoonful of sugar mixture, place 1 ball on the sugar, add more sugar on top, roll out ball Roll until dough is 1/8-inch thick, forming a circle.
• Cut the circle into 8 pie-shaped wedges.
• Fill the wide end of each wedge with 1 level teaspoon of filling.
• Roll from wide end to the point.
• Continue with all the balls.
• Place on greased cookie sheets.
• Bake at 325°F for 15 minutes.

MOM'S NUT HORNS

Steps:

• Cut butter into flour in a bowl using 2 knives or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add sour cream and egg yolk; mix well. Shape the dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.
• Combine walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.
• Cut dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 1/8-inch thick circle on a lightly floured surface. Spread 1/4 of the walnut mixture on each circle; cut each circle into 12 wedge-shaped pieces with a pizza wheel.
• Shape each piece of dough into a crescent by rolling dough from the wide end of the wedge into the center. Transfer cookies carefully to the baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Watch cookies carefully as they bake; their bottoms tend to brown faster than their tops.

HUNGARIAN KIFFLES

Steps:

• Beat butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until pale yellow and creamy. Gradually add 2 cups flour to butter mixture until the dough is too thick for the mixer. Stir remaining 2 cups flour into the butter mixture by hand and knead until dough falls off hands easily. Roll dough into a ball, place in bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Stir walnuts and sugar together in a bowl. Pour milk into walnut mixture and stir to form a paste.
• Turn dough onto a floured work surface and roll to desired thickness. Cut dough into 2-inch squares. Place about 1 teaspoon walnut filling in the center of each square. Roll the dough from 1 corner to the other corner around the walnut filling and transfer to a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until light brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

WALNUT OR FRUIT-FILLED CRESCENT COOKIES (ROSZKE OR ROSKY)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine flour and baking powder, and add to butter mixture, blending well. Divide dough into 3 pieces, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
• Heat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Dust work surface with equal parts granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar.
• Take one ball of dough out of refrigerator and roll it to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a non-serrated pizza or pastry wheel, cut into 3-inch squares.
• Place a rounded teaspoon of filling at one corner and roll it away from you (no need to tuck in the ends). Place seam side down on the baking sheet and shape into a crescent. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake 20 minutes or until edges are lightly brown. Cool completely and store covered. Dust with confectioners' sugar when ready to serve.
• Walnut Filling: In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients. Cook over low heat just until the butter has melted. Cool before using or store covered in the refrigerator and rewarm slightly when ready to use.
• Apricot or Prune Filling: In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, lower heat and, stirring occasionally, simmer 8 minutes or until fruit is soft and liquid has been absorbed. Puree and cool. This can be made ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator for up to three months.

HUNGARIAN NUT HORNS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water; set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolks, sour cream, vanilla and yeast mixture. Mix well with hands (dough will not be sticky). , For filling, in a small bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla. Fold in walnuts. , Divide dough into eight portions. On a work surface heavily coated with confectioners' sugar, roll one portion into a 12-in. circle. Cut into 12 wedges. Spread 1 teaspoon filling over each wedge; tuck in edges of wide end and roll up toward narrow point. Repeat with remaining dough and filling, adding confectioners' sugar to work surface as needed. , Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks.

ROSHKY (SLOVAK COOKIES)

Steps:

• Cream together thoroughly the butter and cream cheese.
• Blend in the flour.
• If mixture is sticky add a little more flour until the dough is easy to handle.
• Divide dough into four equal balls; flatten, then wrap each in waxed paper and chill thoroughly.
• To make filling, mix together walnuts and sugar, adding enough milk or beaten egg white to make a paste-like mixture.
• One at a time, roll out each chilled piece of dough (use confectioner's sugar for rolling as you would use flour in making pastry), until a little thinner than pie dough.
• Cut into 2-inch squares.
• Put 1/2 teaspoon filling in the middle of each square.
• Roll up. Seal ends. (Mrs. Mikosz does not say if you are to roll them end-to-end like a log or corner-to-corner. I remember seeing many corner-to-corner cookies so will try both and see how they turn out - please let me know what you do too).
• With a fork, dipped in confectioner's sugar, shape into cresents.
• Bake in a preheated 375F oven, on ungreased cookie sheets, for 20 minutes, or until golden. (dharmabean shared that 15 minutes was enough in her oven - see her review).
• Cool on rack.
• Sift confectioner's sugar over the tops.