Walnut Horn Cookies
Country Woman
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At our house, it wouldn't be Christmas without these Pennsylvania Dutch cookies that are known locally as "kiffels". We have two children, 16 and 9.
-Sharon Allen, Allentown, Pennsylvania
SERVINGS: 48
CATEGORY: Dessert
METHOD: Baked
TIME: Prep: 35 min. + chilling Bake: 20 min./batch
Ingredients:
- 1 pound butter, softened
- 2 packages (one 8 ounces, one 3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 4 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 egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Directions:
In a large mixing 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 mixing 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. Yield: about 8 dozen.