Butterhorn Cookies with a flaky sour cream pastry dough rolled up with cinnamon sugar and walnuts. The bottoms get deliciously caramelized during baking! So good with an afternoon cup of coffee.

Butterhorn Recipe

Feeling a bit homesick as I settle back into life in Virginia so I thought I’d post this butterhorn cookie recipe.

Grandma only makes them on Christmas Eve, but they’re really too versatile to label a Christmas cookie (they’re also a great breakfast pastry with a cup of hot coffee).

These however definitely remind me of Christmas and family. 

Making Christmas cookies all December long is a family tradition and we make so many cookies!

Have you seen all the Christmas cookies on my site? I even offer a free Christmas cookie cookbook to email subscribers (bottom of this post) with all my pro tips.

The flaky, buttery dough is similar to pie crust, but enriched with sour cream.

It’s then rolled up with walnuts and cinnamon sugar that caramelizes, giving it a nice chewy-crisp texture.

They’re very much like rugelach. Maybe the same thing, different name.

If you like cinnamon, you might also like my Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies or my soft and chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies.

There are a few steps involved with chilling and rolling the dough.

This must be done, but since the dough gets divided into 3 parts, you can keep a batch in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze to bake fresh cookies at a later date. 

After rolling the dough out thinly, sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar walnut mixture. 

The nuts can be left out completely, or you can substitute a different nut.

Next, slice the dough into triangles. I use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into even wedges and it makes assembly a breeze.

Roll up each crescent starting with the wide end and bake. Enjoy the incredible scent as they cook!

Pin these butterhorns for later!

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Grandma's Butterhorn Cookies

Yield: 48 cookies

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Flaky sour cream pastry rolled up with cinnamon sugar and walnuts. The bottoms get deliciously caramelized!

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Ingredients

• 1 cup cold salted butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg yolk, slightly beaten
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Cut butter into flour until evenly distributed. Small chunks of butter are ok.
2. Mix egg yolk and sour cream together, then add to flour mixture, stirring just until dough comes together.
3. Divide dough into 3 equal parts, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
4. Combine sugar, cinnamon and walnuts; set aside.
5. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
6. Roll one portion of dough into 12-inch circle. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the sugar mix. Cut circle into 16 even wedges and roll up firmly starting with the wide end.
7. Place on cookie sheet and space 2 inches apart. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until delicately browned. Repeat with remaining 2 portions of dough.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 2 cookies
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 173

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