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Nut Corners are called Nussecken in Germany and make a delicious addition to your cookie platter! Made with buttery shortbread, a sweet apricot jam layer, and a caramelized hazelnut topping, these mini nut bars are a favorite of my husband and a hit all year round.
Nut Corners are layered cookie bars that are cut into triangles and dipped into chocolate. They’re a very popular baked treat in Germany – not only at Christmas time but all year-round. With their crunchy caramelized nut topping and a buttery shortbread base, these cookies are a family favorite that’s loved by everyone.
The best thing is they can be made ahead and keep fresh for weeks! I always make a big batch to share with family and friends. They make a great edible gift!
Nut corners come in many different sizes! You can cut them into mini ones for a cookie platter or into larger ones that make a great dessert or afternoon treat with a cup of tea or coffee. Nussecken are sold in many German bakeries but they’re so easy to make at home!
Tips and Tricks for Making Nut Corners
- You can make your own hazelnut meal by processing whole hazelnuts in a food processor until they’re finely ground. 1 cup whole hazelnuts makes about 2 cups ground hazelnuts.
- To make pressing the shortbread dough into the baking sheet easier, I roll it out between two pieces of plastic wrap then transfer it to the baking sheet and press it into the corners.
- 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 like to use a ruler for this to get evenly shaped triangles.
- You can cut the nut corners into different sizes. Mini ones (2-inch) are great on a cookie platter but because Nussecken are an all-year-round thing in Germany you can also cut them into larger triangles (4-inch) (that’s how they are sold in German Bakeries).
- Traditionally two corners are dipped into melted chocolate. I dip only one corner when I make mini ones.
How to Make Nussecken (German Nut Triangles)
The first layer is a simple shortbread dough. I always use butter for my shortbread because it tastes better. Press the shortbread dough into the prepared baking pan, it should be evenly distributed. Prick it with a fork all over and then spread a thick layer of apricot jam on top.
My jam had a few pieces of apricots but that’s totally ok. You can use a smoother one if you like. The apricot layer adds sweetness and makes the topping stick to the shortbread layer. My husband loves a thick layer of jam!
The next step is making the nut topping. This is really easy and only takes a few minutes but you need to keep stirring so that the mixture doesn’t burn. I like to use rum instead of water in the nut mixture but if you can’t have alcohol water is totally fine.
When the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved add the nuts. I use a mixture of ground hazelnuts (hazelnut meal) and finely chopped hazelnuts. But you can also use almonds instead or a mixture of both. Hazelnuts are the most authentic but almonds are often cheaper and easier to get.
Stir the nuts into the butter-sugar mixture and then spread it evenly over the apricot jam layer. A rubber spatula works best in my opinion!
Then transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for half an hour. The nut mixture will bubble up a bit and caramelize while baking. Take the sheet out and let the Nussecken cool overnight, then chill the baking sheet in the fridge for a few hours to make cutting into corners easier.
These Nutcorners keep fresh for 3-4 weeks when they are stored correctly. I like to use cookie tins but an airtight container works too, store them in a cool and dry place and you can enjoy them for weeks.
Can you freeze Nut Corners?
Yes, you can freeze Nussecken. Put the cooled cookies into ziplock bags and freeze them for up to 3 months. Take the cookies out a few hours before you want to enjoy them and let them thaw at room temperature.
Looking for more German cookies and treats?
- Vanillekipferl (German Vanilla Crescent Cookies)
- German Lebkuchen Recipe {Elisenlebkuchen}
- German Apple Cake (Versunkener Apfelkuchen)
- German Apple Streusel Sheet Cake
Tools and Ingredients used for making these German Nut Bars
Sheet Pan:Â These are my favorite baking sheets!
Ground Hazelnuts: This hazelnut meal/flour is made from finely ground hazelnuts and perfect for making Nussecken. You can also use almond meal with or without the skins instead of hazelnuts or a mixture of both.
Whole Hazelnuts:Â Chop these by hand or use a food processor to finely chop them, you don’t want to process them too much because you want to have the texture and bite of the nuts.
Apricot Jam:Â This one is my favorite, I also love their Strawberry jam!
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Nut Corners Recipe
Ingredients
For the shortbread layer:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (300g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup sugar, (100g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (115g)
- 6 Tbsp apricot jam
For the nut layer:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, (230g)
- 5 Tbsp rum, or water
- 1 cup brown sugar, (200g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups hazelnut meal, (or almond meal) (240g)
- 1 cup whole hazelnuts, finely chopped (160g)
For the chocolate glaze:
- 1 cup chopped dark chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease and flour a rimmed 18x13-inch (46x33 cm) baking sheet.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Then add sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, and butter. Mix until combined. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the greased baking sheet. Pierce the dough several times with a fork.
- Spread apricot jam evenly over the dough.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter together with the rum (or water), sugar, and vanilla extract until the sugar is dissolved. Don't let the mixture boil.
- Add the ground and chopped nuts. Mix with a spatula until combined.
- Spread the nut mixture on top of the apricot jam.
- Bake for 30 minutes in the middle of the oven.
- Take the baking sheet out of the oven and let the bars cool overnight on the baking sheet before cutting into small triangles (see tips for sizes in the post). It's easier when you put the pan for a few hours in the fridge.
- Melt the chocolate and dip the tips into the chocolate. Transfer to a cooling rack and let chocolate set then store at room temperature in an airtight container.
Nutrition
I had a small problem with the chocolate chips melting, I put them over water to melt but they got too thick right away. What did I do wrong?
I don’t think I haver ever left a review anywhere but these are incredibly delicious and easy to make, even if you don’t add the chocolate corner. They taste like they do in Germany. Yum. I don’t want to share them and eat them all …
Can walnuts or pecans be substituted for the hazelnuts? I don’t like hazelnuts in any form.
Yes, you can use other nuts too!
Do you remove the skin from the hazelnuts?
No, you don’t need to remove the skin.
Hi Julia –
I am making these for our Reading (PA) Liederkranz Christkindlmarkt this year. I made a test batch and let some of our singers sample them and I got rave reviews, particularly from our German immigrant members, who said they are indeed traditional and delicious! My family likes these, too. They are just perfect! Thanks for being a wonderful, trustworthy German baking resource!
Your comment made my day, Mark! Thank you!!
Baked them, but haven’t tried yet (currently cooling on the rack), but they already look and smell like genuine German Nussecken. Thanks for the recipe and special thanks for the metric conversions!
Yummmmm Julia!
I’m going to try these out for Christmas.
Dawn
Okay, YUM. As I am every time I stop by, I am SO beyond glad I found this recipe- so fun and great to try something different! Thanks for sharing!