dessert

Skillet-Molded Oreshki Biscuits

Name: Skillet-Molded Oreshki Biscuits
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 24–30 cookies
Cuisine: dessert
Ingredients: [Shells]; 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour; 2 eggs, separated; 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar; 250 g unsalted butter, melted; 1/4 tsp baking soda; 1/3 tsp salt; 1 tsp vanilla sugar; [Filling]; 1 can boiled condensed milk (dulce de leche); 200 g unsalted butter, softened

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Prep

30 minutes

Cook

20 minutes

Total

50 min

Serves

24–30 cookies

Crisp, walnut-shell-shaped, and filled with thick caramel cream, these little cookies require a special iron mold but the result is worth it. Rich and short on the outside, sweet and dense in the middle.

Ingredients

[Shells]
3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
250 g unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/3 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla sugar
[Filling]
1 can boiled condensed milk (dulce de leche)
200 g unsalted butter, softened

Instructions

1
Whip the egg whites to a foam. In a separate bowl, cream the sugar with the yolks.
2
Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and vanilla sugar. Mix in the melted butter, then fold in both egg mixtures until a smooth, soft dough forms.
3
Roll into small hazelnut-sized balls. Fill a preheated oreshki iron to about 1/3 capacity, close firmly, and cook over a stovetop burner until golden on both sides.
4
Trim the edges from the warm shells immediately. Let cool.
5
Beat the boiled condensed milk with the softened butter and any trimmed shell crumbles. Fill and press the shells together.

Cook's Note

Trim the shell edges while they're still warm from the iron. Once they cool completely, they go brittle and snap if you try to trim them, you'll lose pieces and the halves won't close evenly.

Best Served With

Hot chicory coffee or strong black tea.

Why This Recipe Works

A high fat-to-flour ratio keeps the shells tender enough to bite through but firm enough to hold the dense caramel filling without going soggy. The melted butter gives a slightly crunchy snap rather than a sandy crumble.

Make It Yours

Hide a whole toasted hazelnut inside the caramel core of each cookie.
Add a splash of rum to the caramel filling.
Dust finished cookies with powdered sugar.

Leftover Strategy

Store in a tin at room temperature. They're actually better after a day when the shells soften slightly from the filling.

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Pairing

Strong black tea or chicory coffee. A small glass of Amaretto echoes the caramel and almond notes.