Hungarian Keifles

Makes about 7 dozen cookies – Recipe from Lois LeRoy

Pastry

5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup shortening (non-hydrogenated)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 12-oz can evaporated milk
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons cane sugar
1 packet yeast dissolved in 2 tablespoons warm water

Nut Filling

1 lb walnuts
4 eggs
2 tablespoons almond extract
1 1/2 cups cane sugar

powdered sugar

1. Place all pastry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, mix the ingredients together until there are no lumps of butter or shortening remaining and you have a smooth lump of dough. Shape into a fat disk and place on a large plate. Cover the dough loosely with wax paper and refrigerate overnight or 2 hours.
2. To make the filling: grind the walnuts in a food processor until finely chopped. Mix the walnuts with the eggs, almond extract, and sugar until combined.
3. Remove the dough disk from the fridge and cut into 6 equal pieces. Return 5 pieces to the fridge. Sprinkle a clean work surface liberally with powdered sugar and roll out one piece at a time into a square about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 3 inch squares.
4. Fill each square with about 3/4 teaspoon of walnut filling. Pull up and pinch together the opposite corners so you have a little pyramid. Place the filled dough squares seam side down on a parchment line baking sheet at least one inch apart, pressing down gently. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
5. Bake keiffles at 400° for 8 – 10 minutes until golden. Let cool a few minutes then remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. If desired, sprinkle cookies with additional powdered sugar using a sieve.