Walnut Dessert Recipes

Black Walnut Butter Cookies, Walnut Tarts and Banana Walnut Cake

© Theresa Bledsoe

Sep 25, 2009

No matter the type, walnuts add texture, flavor and nutrition to desserts. While walnut types can be used interchangeably, remember that the distinctive taste of black walnuts works best in desserts when you want the taste of the walnut to be the flavor that stands out.

Walnut Tarts

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces of cream cheese
• 1/2 pound of butter
• 2 cups of flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup of chopped walnuts
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar

Directions:

1. Combine the cream cheese and butter. Beat until creamy.
2. Add flour and mix well. Divide dough into 48 equal-sized balls.
3. Combine next 4 ingredients and mix well. Set aside.
4. Place one ball into a tart or small muffin tin. Depress center and fill each cup 3/4 full with filling mixture.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
6. Allow tarts to cool before removing from pan.

Black Walnut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup of butter, softened (no substitutes)
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup of cornstarch
• 1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped black walnuts (Other walnuts may be substituted for a milder flavor.)
• Additional confectioners' sugar for dusting baked cookies

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch and sugar. Add to the butter and mix well.
2. Stir in the walnuts. Roll the mixture into 3/4 inch balls and place 1 inch apart on greased baking sheets.
3. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until set.
4. Cool on wire racks.
5. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

Yields 6 dozen cookies

Banana Walnut Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups mashed ripe bananas (3 or 4 medium-sized bananas)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• Cream cheese frosting

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, vanilla, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Mix the bananas and milk together in a separate bowl.
4. Blend the dry ingredients into batter alternately with banana mixture. Stir in walnuts.
5. Transfer the batter into 2 greased and floured 8 or 9 inch layer cake pans.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean.
7. Cool 10 minutes before turning layers out onto wire racks to cool completely.
8. Frost with a cream cheese frosting.

Tip: Look for sale prices on chopped walnuts or walnut halves in late fall. Nuts can be purchased in large quantities and frozen for year round use in baking.

Walnuts

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