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overhead shot of German nussecken on white background, freshly dipped in chocolate, the tips of the triangles glinting in the light

Nussecken (German Nut Corners)

Robyn
These German Nuseecken (nut triangles) have a tender buttery shortbread base topped with a caramelised hazelnut layer and then dipped in melted chocolate and are a delicious sweet treat or edible gift!
5 from 9 votes
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course baking, Snack
Cuisine German
Servings 24 triangles
Calories 267 kcal

Equipment

  • Lamington baking tray - a shallow tray measuring 23cm x 33 cm (9" x 13")

Ingredients
  

Base

  • 100g (3.5oz) butter softened
  • 80g (⅓ c) white sugar
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 220g (1½ c) plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

Hazelnut Topping

  • 150g (5.3oz) butter
  • 125g (½ c + 1 tbsp) white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 100g (1 c) ground hazelnuts (hazelnut meal)
  • 200g (7oz) hazelnuts roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoon water
  • 3 tablespoon apricot jam
  • 150g (5.3oz) dark chocolate roughly broken into pieces

Instructions
 

  • Line a 23cm x 33 cm (9" x 13") baking tray with a layer of greaseproof/baking paper, greasing the ends of the tin that aren't lined with a little butter.
  • Preheat the oven to 160˚C fan / 180˚C / 320˚F convection / 356˚F

Make the base:

  • Cream the softened butter with sugar.
  • Add the beaten egg and vanilla and stir.
  • Mix the baking powder with flour and add it to the egg-butter mixture and stir.
  • Keep mixing until it starts to form clumps, and then mix with your hands until you get a solid ball of dough.
  • Using the greaseproof paper as a guide, roll out your dough to the size of the tin (you can chop bits off that overhand and squidge them into any gaps.) Make sure the whole of the bottom of the tray is covered with dough and there are no gaps.
  • Prick all over with a fork.
  • Spread the apricot jam all over the shortbread dough in an even layer. Put to one side while you make the topping.

Make the hazelnut topping:

  • Place the butter, sugar, vanilla and water in a medium saucepan over a medium heat and heat gently until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Don't let it boil.
  • Take off the heat and add the hazelnut flour and roughly chopped hazelnuts and mix well to combine.
  • Leave to cool slightly for 5 minutes.
  • Pour over the base and using the back of a spoon, spread out into an even layer, completely covering the base and jam.
  • Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, checking at 25 minutes to make sure the edges aren't burning, turning half way through.
  • Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before marking into triangles using a sharp knife.
  • Mark into 8 cm x 7.5 cm (3.15" x 2.95") (rough guide - see below for more detail on cutting) squares, then cut each of these in half diagonally to make triangles.
  • Leave to cool completely in tin.
  • Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water or in the microwave, and then pour into a small deep bowl.
  • Take a nussecken triangle and dip a tip in the chocolate, hold for a second or two and then dip the other one in. Place on greaseproof paper until set completely.

Video

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 chunky jam or sieve the jam, whichever you prefer.
Chocolate:
  • Use a 70% chocolate, and the best quality chocolate that you can. I like to use Lindt.
  • To dip all 3 edges of nussecken in chocolate, you will need 200g chocolate.
Shortbread - you can press it into the tin with your hands, but you want to make sure you have an even layer. I have tried this method and some triangles ended up with a thick shortbread and not much nut layer, and others had a little shortbread and a thick nut layer, so I prefer rolling it out.
Even bake - Turn the slice halfway through.
Measuring to cut the squares - 7.5cm  (2.95") is the short side of the tin, 8 cm (3.15") is the long side. You should get 4 squares along the long side of the tin and 3 squares along the shorter side (12 squares altogether). 
Dipping in chocolate: Waiting a second or two inbetween dipping the two corners of the biscuit in chocolate helps prevent the first one dripping back down the side when you dip the second corner.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 267kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 4gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 97mgPotassium: 119mgFiber: 2gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 279IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 2mg
Keyword german baking, hazelnut flour, hazelnuts

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