Nussecken is an easy German mini nut bar that is very delicious and these nut bars are very popular German bakery products.
What are the ingredients?Hazelnuts,butter ,and sugar make this nut bar recipe with a butter crust very rich ,so we can cut them small .
Hazelnuts can bit pricey , so substitute filberts , almonds or your favorite nut instead .
Nut Corners (Nussecken) :
The German nut corners (Nussecken)belong to the classic and traditional German desserts . They are called Nussecken in Germany .
The best thing about this pastry is they can be made ahead and keep fresh for keeps . Nut corner are layer cookie bars that are cut into triangles & dipped into chocolate. Nut corners come in many different sizes. You can cut them into mini ones for a cookie platter or into large ones that make a great dessert or afternoon treat with a cup of tea or coffee.
Ingredients for the German Nuts Corners :
For the shortcrust:
300 g of flour ,all-purpose
1 teaspoon of baking powder
125 g of sugar
150 g of butter ,soft
One package of vanilla-sugar or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
Ingredients for topping:
200 g of butter
200 g of sugar
4 to 5 tablespoons of whipping cream
2 packages of vanilla sugar or 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
200 g of ground hazelnuts
200 g of chopped almonds
150 g of apricot preserves
Icing:
150 g of chocolate,bittersweet baking bar 60% cacao
Instructions of preparing the shortcrust:
At first you need to mix the flour with the baking powder and sift it into a bowl . Add sugar and vanilla sugar ,and mix well . Make a hole in the center and add the egg and egg yolk . Cut butter in small chips and spread on top .
Use the electric hand mixer with the kneading hook and beat until the ingredients are mixed . Continue kneading with your hands . The dough is ready when it’s no longer sticky . Wrap dough in cellophone foil and keep it inthe refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Instructions for preparing the Topping:
Melt butter in saucepan and bring it to boil while constantly stirring. Add 4 to 5 tablespoons of whipping cream and stir with a whisk . Add sugar and vanilla sugar or vanilla extract to it . Once the sugar is dissolved add the ground hazelnuts first and then add the chopped almonds. Stir with a spoon until the ingredient are well mixed.Take the sauce-pan off the heat and let the mixture cooldown.
Cover a baking sheet with baking paper .Form the shortcrust into a roll in the length of the baking sheet and place it onto the covered baking sheet . Rollout the dough using a rollingpin . Pass the apricot preserve through a small piece and spread it even onto the top of the dough . Spread the caramelized nut mixturethe top of apricot preserve. Gently press the nut mixture onto the dough using the back of an angled spatula.
Preheat the oven to 360 degrees F and bake the cake on the middle roast for 22-25 minutes. When the cake has finished baking ,lift it with the paper on a cooling rack and let it cool down for 20 minutes. Cut the cake in equal squares . Cut the squares in diagonal into triangles.
The Icing :
Melt the chocolate and dip the two corners of the long side of the triangle into the chocolate and let it dry on a sheet of baking paper or on a cooling roast .
Tips for making a better Nussecken:
To make pressing the shortbread dough into the baking sheet easier ,you can roll it out between two pieces of plastic wrap then transfer it to the baking sheet and press it into the corners .
Traditionally two corners are dipped into melted chocolate. but you can dip only one corner when you make mini ones .
The easiest way to cut them is to refrigerate the baking sheet for a few hours and then use a sharp knife . First cut the bars into ,then cut the squares across the diagonal into triangles. I liked to use ruler for these to get evenly shaped triangles.
You can make your own hazelnuts meal by processing whole hazelnuts in a food processor until they’re finely ground . 1 cup whole hazelnuts makes about 2 cups ground hazelnuts.
