Nussecken (German Nut Corners)

If you are a fan of hazelnuts and chocolate, then this Nussecken recipe for you! Triangles of tender buttery shortbread base topped with a caramelised hazelnut layer are dipped in melted chocolate to make these popular German nut triangles.

Jump to:

• What are Nussecken?
• Why we love this recipe
• Ingredients Notes
• How to make this recipe – Step by step instructions
• FAQ
• My recipe tips
• More recipes with nut flour
• More German recipes
• Nussecken (German Nut Corners)

What are Nussecken?

Literally translated into ‘nut corners’ (Nuss = ‘nut’ and ecken = ‘corners’), these popular German hazelnut cookies/biscuits are sold in many German bakeries. They have a caramelised hazelnut topping made from ground hazelnuts (aka hazelnut flour/meal) and chopped hazelnuts, and a shortbread base. Once baked, traditionally two corners – or all three sides – are dipped in melted dark chocolate. They were one of my favourite bakery buys when we lived in Munich, and the chocolate hazelnut combination inspired these flourless hazelnut cookies. I am so excited to now be able to share this Nussecken recipe with you!

Why we love this recipe

• Chocolate and hazelnuts – a favourite combination of flavours! If you love Nutella and Ferrero Rocher, you’ll love these nut triangles!
• The house smells amazing when they are cooking!
• They make a delicious edible gift.
• Although they look complicated, they are actually easy to make – the bottom layer is a shortbread (and you can be messy putting it in the tin), and the top layer is butter, vanilla and sugar melted and mixed with nuts. The oven caramelises the hazelnuts, so you don’t have to worry about making the caramel yourself.

Ingredients Notes

• Hazelnuts – both whole hazelnuts and ground hazelnuts (aka hazelnut meal/flour) are used in this recipe. Use hazelnuts with their skins on. Hazelnuts can be expensive, so if you want to make a slightly cheaper version of this chocolate nut bar, use chopped almonds and ground almonds/almond meal instead, (I’ve tried it and almonds work really well!). You can also use a mixture of both hazelnuts and almonds. Or even walnuts.
• Butter – unsalted butter.
• Flour – plain flour or all purpose flour.
• Apricot jam – commonly used in German baking, it has a milder taste and colour than other jams. You can use smooth jam or chunky jam, whichever you prefer.
• Chocolate – use a 70% chocolate, and the best quality chocolate that you can. I like to use Lindt.

How to make this recipe – Step by step instructions

(Full instructions are given in the recipe card – these images are intended to help you along the way 🙂 )

1. Mix butter and sugar.
2. Add egg and vanilla.
3. Mix flour with baking powder.
4. Add flour to butter-egg mixture.
5. Stir to combine.
6. Form into soft and smooth dough.
7. Line tin.
8. Roll out dough.
9. Use finger to squash the dough into the tin.
10. Prick the dough with a fork.
11. Top with apricot jam.
12. Melt butter, sugar, water and vanilla.
13. Don’t let boil.
14. Add ground hazelnuts/hazelnut meal and chopped hazelnuts.
15. Stir to combine.
16. Spread out over shortbread base and apricot jam.
17. Bake.
18. Cut into squares and then cut each square in to triangles.

FAQ

My recipe tips

• Roll out the dough and then press into the tin with your fingers – this ensures the base is an even thickness and you don’t get some thick bits of base without much hazelnut topping (something I have done, and won’t do again!)
• Use your piece of greaseproof paper as a guide for the size needed when rolling out the dough.
• Use a ruler when cutting out the squares and triangles – this helps keeps the edges straight.
• To dip the corners in chocolate: pour the chocolate into a small, deep bowl. Dip a corner into the chocolate then wait a few seconds before you dip the other corner, this helps prevent the chocolate from dripping down the sides.
• If you love chocolate, you can dip all the sides in chocolate rather than just the corners (see photo below). I often saw them sold them like this in German bakeries.
• You can make mini hazelnut corners: cut the triangles in half and dip one corner in chocolate (these make great gifts or petit four to serve with coffee)

More recipes with nut flour

I love baking with nut flours, here are some more of our favourite recipes using ground almonds/almond flour.

More German recipes

Here are some traditional and recipes inspired by our time living in Munich, Southern Germany.