The apple and cinnamon half-moons are delicious oil-based shortcrust pastry cookies filled with apples and walnuts, flavored with cinnamon. Simple to prepare, truly delightful!
The soft apple cookies are perfect for breakfast, a snack, or to enjoy at the end of a meal!
Inside, they hide a genuine filling made with apples and walnuts. The surface, covered with sugar before baking, makes them irresistible at the first bite!
The pastry for making these half-moons, or sweet ravioli, is butter-free and quickly prepared as it does not need to rest in the fridge.
They are very soft and keep well for days if covered properly to prevent drying.
Making these filled cookies is also very simple. Just form disks with the pastry. Place a bit of filling in the center, and then close it all to form a half-moon.
These pastry ravioli can also be filled with other types of fruit according to your taste, for example with pears and chocolate chips. They are also excellent with figs and chocolate.
Those who do not particularly like fruit-filled cookies can opt for creams or jams as desired.
The only precaution is to not overfill each cookie to prevent them from opening during baking 😉
If you like apple desserts don’t miss out on these delicious suggestions!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: about 22 cookies
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
Half-moons filled with apples and walnuts
- 2.8 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs (medium whole)
- 3/4 cup sugar (Italia Zuccheri 100% Italian)
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil (or light olive oil)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon (only if you like, or lemon rind)
- 3.5 oz walnut halves
- 2 apples (weight without peel 250 g)
- to taste sugar (to decorate the cookies on top)
Tools
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- Bowl
- Sieve
- Pastry Cutter
- Chopping Board
- Rolling Pin
- Baking Tray
Steps
First, clean the apples and dice them into small cubes.
Place them in a saucepan, add just a couple of tablespoons of water, a teaspoon of ground cinnamon which can be replaced with lemon rind.
Cook over very low heat until they are soft. Then place them in a sieve to drain the liquids well.
Once dry, place them in a bowl, add finely chopped walnut halves, and mix. This will be the filling for the cookies.
In a bowl, break the medium whole eggs. Add the sugar and vigorously whisk with a hand whisk.
For this recipe, I chose to use Italia Zuccheri sugar, the only sugar that’s 100% Italian, from a short supply chain and sustainable agriculture.
Then add the vegetable oil and mix well.
Finally, incorporate sifted flour and baking powder and work with your hands until you obtain a smooth or soft dough.
Once the pastry is ready, it does not need to rest but must be covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying.
Divide the dough into three parts and leave the other two covered with plastic wrap.
Roll out the pastry with a rolling pin and form the half-moons using a pastry cutter or, in its absence, a glass.
Depending on the size of the cutter, you’ll get more or fewer cookies. With a 4-inch diameter, you get about 22 half-moons.
Place the filling in the center of each disk using a teaspoon.
Brush the entire circumference of the disk with water, without overdoing it. This will help seal the cookie well and prevent it from opening during baking.
Take the disk, place it on the palm of your hand, and with the other, close it, sealing the edges well, to form a half-moon or ravioli.
Further seal the edges with the tines of a fork.
As you form each cookie, pass it, only on the top side, in sugar and place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Continue in the same way until all the ingredients are used.
Bake the half-moons in a preheated static oven at 356°F for about 25-30 minutes.
When they are lightly golden, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely.
Then you can enjoy these delicious soft cookies with apples, walnuts, and cinnamon!
Article protected by copyright © – Gabriella Geroni © All Rights Reserved
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FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I make these cookies with butter pastry?
Certainly! Instead of oil, you can use 110 grams of butter. To this end, I provide a handy butter-oil conversion table for both sweet and savory preparations.
I don’t like cinnamon, how can I replace it?
To flavor both the pastry and the filling of your cookies, you can use lemon or orange zest, vanilla, etc.
Can I use almonds instead of walnuts?
Yes! You can opt for almonds or hazelnuts or, if you prefer, use only cinnamon-flavored apples without nuts. For a delicious version, you can add chocolate chips.
Can a little jam be added to the filling?
Sure! If you like, you can add jam to taste. The only caution is not to overdo it so the filling doesn’t spill out of the cookies!
How long do fruit-filled cookies last?
These cookies remain soft for several days (if you can resist the temptation to eat them all, otherwise they’ll disappear much sooner!) The only advice I give is to cover them well, otherwise they dry out. They can also be frozen to avoid waste, either before or after baking. If frozen before baking, place them on a baking tray and bake without thawing.
