Orehcheta (Walnut Cookies)
Little walnut-shaped shells baked in a hinged mould and filled with caramelised condensed milk and chopped walnuts — a Soviet-era treat that Bulgarian kitchens never gave up. The unopened tin of milk simmers for hours into a thick toffee cream.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 397 g sweetened condensed milk (1 tin)
- water, for simmering the tin
- 200 g butter, softened
- 100 g sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 pinch salt
- 450 g plain flour
- 1 tsp sunflower oil, for the mould
- 50 g butter, softened, for the filling
- 100 g walnuts, finely chopped
Nutrition (estimated)
high confidenceRecipe total: 4919 kcal · P 88.8g · C 476.9g · F 301.1g
Estimated from 11 of 12 ingredients
Approximate estimate, calculated from the ingredients.
Steps
Steps
- 1Lay the unopened tin of condensed milk on its side in a pan, cover it with water by at least 3 cm and simmer for 2 1/2 hours, topping up with boiling water so the tin is never exposed — a tin that boils dry can burst. Leave it to cool completely in the water before opening.
- 2Beat the 200 g butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
- 3Stir the bicarbonate of soda into the lemon juice and add it to the bowl while it fizzes, then work in the flour and salt and knead briefly into a soft dough that no longer sticks to your hands.
- 4Roll the dough into balls the size of a hazelnut, about 8 g each — larger ones spill out of the cavities and the mould will not close.
- 5Heat the walnut mould over medium heat for 3–4 minutes on each side and brush the cavities with oil for the first batch. Put a ball in each cavity, close the mould firmly and bake for 1 1/2–2 minutes on each side, until pale gold.
- 6Tip the shells out onto a board, trim the ragged edges with a small knife while still warm and leave to cool; repeat with the rest of the dough.
- 7Open the cold tin and beat the caramel with the 50 g butter until smooth, then stir in the walnuts.
- 8Fill each half shell generously with the cream, press two halves together and wipe off any excess.
- 9Leave the cookies for at least an hour, or overnight in a tin, so the shells soften slightly and the halves hold together.
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Questions and answers
How long does Orehcheta (Walnut Cookies) take to make?
About 225 minutes: 45 min prep and 180 min cooking.
What ingredients do you need for Orehcheta (Walnut Cookies)?
11 ingredients: sweetened condensed milk, water, butter, sugar, eggs, bicarbonate of soda, lemon juice, salt, plain flour, sunflower oil, walnuts.
How many servings does this Orehcheta (Walnut Cookies) recipe make?
30 servings. The servings buttons above the ingredients rescale every amount.
How many calories are in a serving of Orehcheta (Walnut Cookies)?
About 164 kcal, with 3 g protein, 15.9 g carbohydrate and 10 g fat. This is an estimate from the ingredients, not a lab analysis.
Which diets does this Orehcheta (Walnut Cookies) recipe suit?
It is vegetarian.
What cuisine is Orehcheta (Walnut Cookies)?
Orehcheta (Walnut Cookies) comes from Bulgarian cuisine.
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