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nut and jam rolled cookies on white cloth with hazelnuts
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Italian Nut and Jam Rolled Cookies

Italian nut and jam rolled cookies, a cookie perfect for dunking! A subtle orange flavored dough wrapped around a crunchy, nutty filling sweetened with jam. Enjoy right out of the oven or bake twice until crisp. A versatile recipe that can be made with a variety of nuts and jam of your choice!
Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 30 cookies
Calories 145kcal

Ingredients

For the dough

  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp. milk
  • 1 orange, zested
  • cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt

For the filling

  • 1 cup fig jam or jam of your choice
  • 2 cups hazelnuts (skin removed) or almonds or walnuts

Instructions

Prepare the dough

  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs and sugar until light and frothy. Whisk in vegetable oil; milk; and orange zest.
  • Sift all-purpose flour; baking powder and a pinch of salt. Use a wooden spoon to combine all ingredients until a dough is formed. The dough will be slightly tacky to the touch. 
  • Scrape the dough onto your counter. Knead lightly to shape into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

For the filling

  • Meanwhile crush the hazelnuts. My preferred method, as my my does, is by placing the nuts on a clean dish towel, fold it over and use a meat mallet to crush the nuts. Set aside.
  • Remove the jam from the refrigerator, it is easier to spread at room temperature.

To assemble

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Tear off a sheet of parchment paper the same size of your baking sheet and dust it lightly with flour.
  • After 30 minutes remove the dough from the refrigerator. Divide in half, keeping the second half wrapped, and place on the prepared parchment paper. Dust lightly with more flour and roll it out into a 12 X 9 inch rectangle.
  • Place half of the jam in dollops over the dough and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly over the dough. Leave a 1-inch border all around in order to prevent the filling from oozing out when rolling. Cover generously with half the chopped nuts and lightly press them down onto the jam.
  • Grab the long end of the parchment paper facing you and begin rolling the dough as tightly as possible. End with the seam side down, fold over both ends and tuck them underneath. Carefully lift the log and place on the baking sheet. Continue with the second piece of dough.
  • Bake for 30 minutes until light golden brown. 

Enjoy as is

  • At this point, if you wish to enjoy the cookies with a softer texture, as is, let the logs cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and slice just before serving.

Bake again for crisp texture

  • If you prefer a crunchier cookie, reduce the oven temperature to 280 degrees F. Transfer the logs onto a cutting board and cut them into 3/4 inch wide slices. Place on the baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes per side or until desired level of crispness. Let cool.

Notes

Tips and suggestions:

  • The cookie dough will be slightly sticky and soft, this is normal. Lightly flour your parchment paper, the dough as well as your rolling pin in order to prevent from sticking while rolling it.
  • Swap out hazelnuts for nuts of your choice such as almonds or walnuts.
  • Use jam of your choice including cherry; strawberry; raspberry or apricot jam.
  • For best results use a non-serrated knife and cut the cookies in one swift movement.

Can Italian nut and jam rolled cookies be frozen?

  • If you bake these cookies a second time until dried out, the level of humidity will be quite low. Therefore, they keep well at room temperature for weeks and don't require freezing.
  • If on the other hand you prefer them soft, let the logs cool, wrap well in plastic wrap and freeze as is for up to 3 months. Let them defrost and then slice right before serving.
  • Please note that the nutritional information provided is approximate and may vary according to exact ingredients used and portion size.

Nutrition

Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 27mg | Potassium: 104mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 23IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg