Nussecken (German Nut Corners)

These German shortbread cookie bars made with hazelnuts and almonds are called Nussecken. As with other popular German baked goods featuring nuts like Almond Horn Cookies and Nusskuchen, chocolate is added to balance the caramelized, nutty flavors. Once you try one, you'll keep coming back for more!

Nussecken translates from German to English as “nut corners”. These triangular layered cookie bars are made from a buttery shortbread base, coated with apricot jam to give it a sweet fruity flavor. They're topped with a caramelized, crunchy nut topping, and the corners of each cookie are dipped in dark chocolate.

Growing up in Germany, I grew to love nuts in baked goods, since they're a popular addition to sweets. And now that I live in Oregon, hazelnuts (also known as filberts) are very common.

If you enjoy the hazelnut flavor of Nussecken, I highly recommend Nusskuchen, which is a hazelnut loaf cake!

And for more German desserts featuring almonds, try Bee Sting Cake, Mandelhörnchen, Butterkuchen, and raspberry Linzer cookies!

Ingredients

Shortbread Cookie Base

• Unsalted butter - Allow the butter to soften to room temperature overnight, so you can beat it to a smooth, fluffy texture.
• Granulated sugar - Sweetens the cookie base a little, without adding moisture to the dough like brown sugar would.
• Baking powder - Helps the cookie base rise a little in the oven, so it's lighter and softer than traditional shortbread.
• Salt - Enhances the flavors of the other ingredients. I recommend using non-iodized table salt or fine sea salt for the best flavor.
• Egg - Binds the cookie dough together so it can easily be rolled out in one large rectangle.
• All purpose flour - Provides the base structure for a light, tender cookie. Hearty flour like wheat flour will be too heavy.
• Apricot jam - Adds a little fruity pop of flavor to balance the rich buttery, caramelized topping. You can substitute other types of jam like strawberry or lingonberry.

Nut Topping

• Unsalted butter - When melted, the milk solids in butter caramelize and add rich, buttery, toasted flavors.
• Hazelnuts or almonds - Nuts are added in two forms - chopped and ground. The chopped nuts add a crunchy texture, while the ground nuts help bind the topping together. I like using a combination of hazelnuts and almonds for a variety in flavor.
• Dark brown sugar - You can also use light brown sugar, but I prefer the richer caramel flavor and darker color of dark brown sugar.
• Vanilla extract - Enhances the flavors of all the other ingredients in the topping.
• Salt - I recommend using table salt or fine sea salt, but you could also use a little less than ½ teaspoon of kosher salt.

Chocolate Topping

• Chocolate - I recommend using dark chocolate or bittersweet chocolate to add some bitter contrast to the sweet Nussecken. But you can also use semisweet chocolate for a sweeter cookie.

How to Make this Recipe

Recipe Tips

• I recommend using a quarter sheet pan, which is 9-inches by 13-inches. Then you can press or roll your shortbread dough all the way to the edges of the pan for the perfect size. 
  If you're using a large baking sheet, you can use a ruler to measure the side of the cookie base.
• The cookie dough will look really crumbly at first, but the softened butter will make it all stick together as soon as you begin rolling it out. 
• When rolling out the dough, try to get it in as even of a layer as possible. If the edges are thinner than the middle, they’ll turn brown before the center. If that happens, you can just slice off the crispy edges after it's baked.
• A food processor makes chopping nuts way faster. I usually buy whole nuts, then use my food processor to chop them and grind them.
  If you don’t have a food processor, use a sharp kitchen knife to chop the nuts.
  And to grind nuts, you can either use a coffee grinder, or buy pre-ground almond meal or hazelnut meal.  
• For the best flavor, I recommend using the best quality dark chocolate or bittersweet chocolate you can find. You don’t need too much, and it makes a big difference in flavor! 
• After dipping one corner, allow the melted chocolate to drip back into the bowl for a few seconds before flipping the cookie around and dipping the other corner. 

Recipe Variations

• Hazelnuts are the most common nuts used to make these cookies. But you can also use walnuts or almonds. 
• You can cut the cookies as big or small as you like. Usually the ones sold in German are around 4 inches, but you can make mini Nussecken that are 2 inches.
• Any tart jam works well with these cookies. Apricot jam is most traditional, but strawberry or red currant jam also works. One of my favorites is lingonberry jam, from IKEA of all places!

Storing

Room Temperature: Store leftover Nussecken in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. 

Freezer: Store cooled Nussecken in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer safe bag. Allow them to thaw at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to roast or toast the nuts first?

Since the nuts are toasted in melted butter then baked in the oven, you don’t need to pre-toast them or buy roasted nuts.

What’s the difference between almond meal and almond flour?

Almond meal is typically made from raw, unpeeled almonds and has a heartier texture. Almond flour is made from boiled, peeled almonds and has a finer texture. You can use either, but I recommend using almond meal, since it has a nuttier flavor.

Do the skins need to be removed from hazelnuts?

You don't need to remove the brown papery skin from raw shelled hazelnuts for this recipe.

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