Russian Sour Cream Cookies

These cookies are filled with sweetened ground nuts and showered with snowy confectioners sugar.  

Ingredients

Dough

  • 2-1/4         cup unbleached all purpose flour
  • 1/4            tsp salt
  • 1               cup cold unsalted butter
  • 2               tbsp sour cream
  • 2               large eggs separated(reserve the whites)
  • 1/2            tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4            cup (1 3/4 oz) granulated sugar

Filling

  • 2-1/2         cups(11 1/2 oz)walnuts
  • 6               tbsp(2 5/8)oz granulated sugar
  •                  reserved egg whites, from above
  • 1               tsp vanilla extract

Topping

  •                  confectioners’  sugar, for dusting

Instructions

Dough

  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
  2. Cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
  3. Add the sour cream, egg yolks, vanilla, and granulated sugar and mix well.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface or a piece of parchment paper, and kneed lightly to bring the dough together.
  5. Break off pieces of the dough (a scant tbsp each) and roll into 3/4” balls.  Place the balls on a rimmed parchment lined baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.

For the Filling

  1. Place the walnuts in the bowl of a food processor with the sugar.  Process until the walnuts are quite fine.  Add the egg whites and vanilla and pulse until smooth.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

To assemble.

  1. Working with a few balls of dough at a time, flour your hands and press each into a rough oval.  Roll out to 1/8” thick, about 3-1/2 long and 2” wide.
  2. Drop a rounded 1/2 tsp of the filling on one of the ends of the oval and spread it halfway up its length.  Starting at the covered end, roll each up in a spiral.
  3. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets, seam side down.
  4. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, or just until lightly browned.  
  5. Remove from the oven and let it cool on a rack.
  6. Sprinkle generously with confectioners’ sugar while still slightly warm. 

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