Celebrating 2 Years of Blogging with Italian Walnut Pillow Cookies
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Apparently I’m a bad partner to myself because I totally missed my own blogging anniversary! It was actually back on February 11th, which marked two years since my very first post of Italian Wedding Soup. Well, we’re still in the anniversary month, so it’s not too late to celebrate, right? It’s hard to believe how far my blog has come since that first post. It started out on Blogspot, moved to WordPress, and finally settled in to its own domain. I think my photography has greatly improved, and that my blog has a greater sense of focus and provides readers with useful information and not merely a collection of recipes.
Stay tuned, because I have some changes in mind for Brown Eyed Baker that I think will only improve the experience for you the readers. With that being said, I’d also love to know what YOU would love to see from my blog. I want you to enjoy coming to Brown Eyed Baker, so let’s hear it! Suggestions, recommendations, anything. Do you want to see more recipes, more step-by-step instructions, more photography, Q&A’s, podcasts, informational (non-recipe) posts, etc? Give me your wish list!
Now, on to the celebrating. I started this blog with an Italian starter (soup), so why not celebrate with an Italian dessert?! (Actually, is a cookie dessert? I think it’s more of a snack, myself.)
These cookies, simply known as “pillows” in my family, have been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. My grandma used to make these often, but the huge batches usually always appeared the week of Thanksgiving. Traditionally, some of my mom’s family that lives out of town always travels in for Thanksgiving, so my grandma always made tons and tons of these to have around while we all sat around talking, playing cards, and eating. They are basically little miniature nutrolls in a cookie form, topped with an icing glaze. There isn’t anything fancy about these – my grandma has made them for decades with nothing more than a hand mixer. It takes a bit of time to get the logs rolled with the filling and cut into individual pieces, but these cookies are absolutely worth it. I hope you give them a try – they are a family favorite!
Italian Walnut Pillow Cookies
Yield: Approximately 7 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
Dough:
1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk
4½ cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon saltFilling:
1½ lbs. walnuts, chopped (I use my food process0r)
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1½ cups sugar
4 egg whites, lightly beatenIcing:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons milk (approximately)Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease cookie sheets or line them 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.
(Source: my grandma)
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Congratulations on 2 years. It’s only a few days late… Better late than never right?
These cookies look tasty!
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I miss your updates! They are so rare now! More please
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Happy blogiversary!! Your blog is so wonderful! And these pillow cookies…YUM. Can’t wait to try them.
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Happy Blogversary!
My husband’s grandmother used to make nut rolls and poppy seed rolls whenever we visited. She has now passed and her recipes went with her (she never wrote a recipe down). Could I use this recipe to re-create the nutrolls without slicing them into cookies and omitting the icing? And if so, if you had a recipe for the poppyseed filling my husband would be estatic!
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Bunny on January 5th, 2013 at 6:49 pm
I too am from PA and I make the Kiffles. did you ever get the recipe? I will send to you if you like.
Bunny
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Congratulations on 2 years!!
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Not to be unhelpful, but I love everything about your site! You have wonderful photography and delicious recipes
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Congrats on 2 years! Can’t wait to see what’s in store for your site, and those cookies sound wonderful – I love walnuts in cookies.
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Happy blogiversary!
Those walnut pillows look really good! I’ve never came across them before. Do you think I could substitute the shortening for the dough with butter?
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Congrats on 2 years! These look delicious!
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Congrats on two years!! I love your blog, I don’t think you need to change anything, but I know change is good and fun:) I love your sweet recipes! Keep them coming!
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LYN — I totally sympathize with grandmas who don’t write down their recipes! I think you could definitely make this into a nutroll, but I think the dough recipe will probably be more of a shorty/pastry dough than your typical nutroll dough. I would divide the dough into 2 pieces rather than 4 and make two medium-sized nutrolls. If you decide to give it a try please let me know how it turns out!
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OVENHAVEN — I’m sure you could substitute in the butter for the shortening without issue – I would use unsalted butter and have it at room temperature to make sure it creams well.
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Awww! A grandma recipe! I love it! They look insanely delicious and congrats on two years blogging!!
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Those look amazing!!!
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Those pillows look delicious! My mother-in-law make some just like them at holiday time. Good stuff!
Happy Blogiversary!
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I think a podcast or two added to the mix would be really cool.
(Recipes like this make me so jealous of all of you people who don’t live with people with nut allergies. Pout.)
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these look amazing! i will be making these very soon:)!
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Chelle, I will absolutely try it and let you know the results. Thanks for answering my question!
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I made these little wonders this morning…they are delicious. Brought them to work and they went crazy over them. Thanks for another great recipe. I’m so glad I found you.
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Also, forgot to say that I used pecans – didn’t have any walnuts – I would probably still use the shortening and not butter.
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nancy on September 15th, 2010 at 9:33 am
This recipe looked so good I had to try it. My cookies did not turn out at all. They spread so much while baking. Did not hold shape at all. Any suggestions???
Thanks! Followed recipe exactly. Did you ever try baking whole roll and then cuting?
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Michelle on September 15th, 2010 at 9:23 pm
Hi Nancy, I’m so sorry that these didn’t turn out for you. I’ve never baked them in an entire roll and cut them, but it’s certainly something you can try. The only thing I can think is that the dough may have been too warm/soft. Next time try assembling the cookies and then popping the baking sheet in the refrigerator and chill them for about 30 minutes then bake. If you try again let me know how it turns out, this is one of my grandma’s old recipes and one of my favorites!
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nancy on November 21st, 2011 at 11:40 am
Hi, I just tried these again today after receiving your email on your 2 year blog. These cookies look delicious, but I just can’t make them right for some reason!! I think maybe I’m rolling them wrong. I’m starting at the short end and rolling up. I slice them about one inch like it says, but they fall over and look like pinwheels. The taste is great, but your picture of them they look smaller. Any suggestions. Thanks again!!
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Lisa on November 19th, 2012 at 4:38 pm
Hi,
I had the same problem, I can’t roll these cookies right.
Mine look like pinwheels too.
Exactly how are you supposed to roll these?
Can you post some step by steps pictures? This would be so helpful.
I LOVE this recipe
Thanks
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Michelle on November 20th, 2012 at 12:26 pm
Hi Lisa, If you look above at the photos, I basically take that long piece of dough with the filling spread on top, and roll it, long side facing me. I roll it jelly-roll style, as tight as I can.
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cookies are great! do they freeze well?
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Michelle on December 10th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
You know Joan, I’ve never tried freezing them – our family always gobbles these up! I imagine they would though, can’t see why not.
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joan on December 10th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
thanks for your comment…will try freezing and see how they work out!
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I’m long overdue in writing to you about these cookies. Think I stumbled across this recipe and your website over a year ago when doing an internet search for Italian cookies to add to our Christmas baking repertoire. Disclaimers first: I’m 100% Italian, a life-long Pittsburgher and the granddaughter of a professional baker who for many years was the cookie baker at Kaufmann’s Department Store in Downtown Pittsburgh. Now for my real reason for writing: these cookies are amazing! Delicious, easy to make, pretty on a tray, makes a lot without a lot of trouble — you name it. I love this recipe and just wanted to thank you for sharing something so precious. I’ve even made these for a celebration at my church for one of our former Italian priests who was elevated to Cardinal and shipped off to Rome. But I had to hide them from my husband first, as they have become his favorite cookie, right up there with cranberry biscotti. Would have loved to make them for my own Grandma. Thanks again!
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Michelle on January 13th, 2011 at 9:31 pm
Carolyn, Thank you so much for writing, so happy to hear you have enjoyed these cookies. Always great to hear from a fellow Pittsburgher as well!
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Sooo excited to try this recipe next week for Thanksgiving! I am more of a cookie fan than a pie fan so these will be a perfect addition to our dessert menu. I have been trying a TON of your cookie recipes and they are so good! I wondered a long time ago while slaving over a batch of “kolach” (what we call nut roll in our family here in Youngstown, OH) if there was a cookie version of that holiday treat. Thanks for sharing all the great recipes!
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Congratulations on 2 exceptionally deliciously yummy years. Many more, please!
xo
http://allykayler.blogspot.com
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I made this for my annual Christmas Cookie gift tins. I love them! I didn’t make as many cookies as the recipe says because I ate so much of the dough before baking it! Thanks for the recipe!
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can you use pecans instead of walnuts?
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Michelle on December 18th, 2012 at 5:54 pm
Hi Hannah, I’ve never tried them like that, but I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t!
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