Italian Walnut Pillows Recipes

WALNUT-FILLED PILLOWS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cut butter and cream cheese into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Blend mixture together until smooth dough forms, about 3 minutes. Pat into a rectangle; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. For filling, combine the walnuts, sugar, milk and vanilla. , Unwrap dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 17-1/2x10-in. rectangle; cut into 2-1/2-in. squares. Place a level teaspoonful of filling in the center of each square. Moisten edges with water; fold in half and seal with a fork. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Brush with egg. , Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

ITALIAN WALNUT PILLOWS

Steps:

• In a large bowl cream together sugar and Crisco. Then add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
• In a sperate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Alternating between the flour mixture and milk,add these to the sugar mixture, start and end with flour mixture. Be sure that all the ingredients are well mixed.
• Now split the dough into four equal pieces and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour or 2, in order to make the dough easier to work with.
• WALNUT FILLING:Mix together the walnuts and the sugar. Then add the melted butter to this. Mix well breaking up any large chunks or lumps. Then add the egg whites to this and mix well. Seperate filling into four equal amounts.
• Assemble: Roll out dough one piece at a time into a rectangle about 6 x 18 inches. Spread 1/4 of the walnut filling on top of this, taking it almost to the edges. Roll in jelly roll fashion and pinch the ends to seal.
• Cut your walnut roll into 1 inch slices and transfer to a greased cookie sheet.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. (the tops should be just beginning to brown a bit)
• Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool completely.
• (repeat with remaining 3 pieces of dough and filling)
• Icing: Mix all ingredients until the right consistancy. (only add milk 1 t at a time) Icing should be thick enough so that it doesnt run but yet is still spreadable. Frost the top of each cookie when they are completely cooled.

PASTA WITH WALNUT SAUCE

Steps:

• Put a large saucepan of water on to boil, and toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan until they begin to make a nutty aroma. Put the bread in a bowl and cover with the milk. Put most of the toasted walnuts (reserving about 1 ounce for garnish) into a blender along with the garlic, bread soaked in milk, and Parmesan. Blend until it turns smooth and creamy, then pour in the oil and season well with salt and pepper before blending again.
• Pour into a bowl, and set aside.
• Add pasta to boiling water with salt and cook for the required amount of time. When pasta is al dente, reserve a cup of the pasta cooking liquid and then drain the pasta, but put it in to a large bowl while it's still dripping slightly with water. Sprinkle a little olive oil over the pasta to prevent it sticking together, and then add the walnut sauce, mixing it into the pasta (splash in a little pasta cooking liquid to make the sauce less thick if needed).
• Roughly chop the remaining walnuts and toss them over the top along with some more Parmesan and the chopped parsley.

CUCCIDATI ITALIAN WALNUT PILLOWS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream together the sugar and shortening. Add the egg and vanilla and combine well. Add in the remaining ingredients, alternating between the flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture and making sure all of the ingredients are well incorporated. The dough will be soft. Divide the dough into four even pieces, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.
• To make the filling, either process the nuts through a food processor until finely chopped (just a smidge larger than all-out ground), or chop by hand. The smaller the pieces, the better. Combine the chopped nuts with the sugar and then add in the melted butter. Mix well, making sure there are no large clumps. Add the egg whites and again, mix well.
• On a well-floured surface, roll out a piece of dough into a rectangle measuring about 6 inches by 18 inches. Spread ¼ of the nut filling onto the dough, leaving a small border around the perimeter of the dough. Roll up as you would a jelly roll, with the short ends to the left and right of you, and seal the ends. Cut the roll into 1-inch pieces and place on the cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are just slightly starting to turn brown. Cool completely. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough and remaining filling.
• Once the cookies are cooled, prepare the icing by mixing together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk to achieve the desired consistency. You'll want the icing to be thick enough to not be runny, but still easily spreadable. Ice the tops of the cookies and let set completely before storing in an airtight container.
• You can use the icing or drizzle melted semi sweet chocolate on top.