It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and I’ve been baking our family’s traditional Christmas recipes and a few more! Walnut football cookies are a favourite. I hope you enjoy the recipe.

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The pandemic taught me to try to create memories whenever we have family gatherings. I also learned to put out the “good stuff” – Set the table, polish the silver, put out grandma’s good china – and pull out those fancy vintage tablecloths.

I have also been baking a Christmas themed family recipe everyday. I started with my mother in law’s dark fruitcake – It was basted with brandy daily, and has now been packaged up into the freezer to get ready for the Christmas season. I can’t wait to try it again!

Christmas Cookie Countdown Project

A few years ago I tried a 12 Cookies of Christmas project. I’m currently running through those recipes again and updating them online! Yesterday – I baked Vegan Shortbread Cookies. I have updated my father in law’s traditional dry shortbread recipe to make it vegan – so our daughter can enjoy them too! I have now hidden away a batch of Vegan Shortbread cookies – although I suspect (I know) my husband has found my hiding spot!

A Family Recipe

My second cookie baking project for this year is for Walnut Football Cookies. This recipe for Football Cookies is from my mother in law. I was never able to meet her or try her cookies, but my wonderful sister in law shared the recipe, and I know my husband (and the kids) appreciates me making these cookies! I now make them every year!

Vanillekipferl – Austrian Walnut Crescent Cookies

The recipe is very similar to Austrian Walnut Crescent Cookies or Vanillekipferl! They are almost the same – prepared with butter, flour and vanilla – baked and then dipped in icing sugar. Traditionally the dough is rolled into a little tube and then turned in a curve – to make a crescent.

In my husband’s family the same method is used, but the cookie is shaped into an oval or football!

There is a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!

Walnut Football Cookie Ingredients

1 cup softened butter (Salted butter provides a little more flavour to the cookie. Vegan butter can be substituted to make these cookies vegan and dairy free)

4 heaping tablespoons icing sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup water

100ml chopped walnuts (crush them with a rolling pin)

More icing sugar for rolling (1 cup or so)

Walnut Football Cookie Preparation:

Beat butter until creamy, gradually add in icing sugar, then vanilla, flour and water while continuing to beat ingredients.

Crush nuts with rolling pin and stir into ingredients. (I like the texture of a chopped walnut, but finely crushed walnuts provide for a more smoothly shaped cookie if you prefer)

Refrigerate dough for one hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or grease or apply non-stick spray.

Shape teaspoon sized pieces of dough into football shapes. In the photos below – a crescent shaped cookie is also formed as an example – but I prefer the football method.

Place on prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until just lightly browned on bottom.

Remove cookies from oven and let cool on rack for about 3 minutes. After 3 minutes roll cookies in plate of icing sugar to coat and place on cooling rack.

My Walnut Football Cookies are all ready – and have been tucked away in their hiding space. They are lightly flavoured – and a contrast with the many other types of cookies we look forward to enjoying at Christmas.

Below is a printable recipe card from RecipesGenerator. Please give it a try!

Happy December! Do you have a favourite family Christmas baking tradition?

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