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Meringue Shell Cookies have a crisp ribbon of meringue and soft crumbly center. Rakushki is the Russian word for “shells” and they do look like little shells with a treasure inside – the walnuts! These meringue cookies are lightly sweet and made perfect with a dusting of powdered sugar which makes them look and taste irresistible.
Each walnut meringue cookie is hand crafted so no two are exactly the same. These are charming and completely worth making. They take a little time because it turns out a big batch (60 cookies!), but the process is easy and therapeutic. Don’t let the number of cookies scare you off because they disappear quickly and are perfect for holiday gifting and munching (plus you can make them a few days ahead).
Watch How to Make Meringue Shell Cookies:
I’m confident these will become a new favorite cookie for many of you. They are that good! If you make these for Christmas, tag me on Instagram or Facebook to let me know. I would love to see all your pretty cookies.
Ingredients for Shell Cookie Dough:
1 cup (16 Tbsp or 226 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
3 egg yolks, room temperature
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (315 grams) *measured correctly
For the Meringue Cookie Filling:
3 egg whites, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups walnut pieces (3 pieces per cookie)
*To measure flour correctly, spoon flour into a dry ingredients measuring cup and level off the top with the blunt edge of knife.
*Watch our easy video tutorial on how to measure correctly
How to Make Cookie Dough:
Prep: Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Line a 3/4 baking sheet with parchment (or use 2 regular baking sheets)
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together: 16 Tbsp butter, 3 egg yolks, 1/2 cup sour cream and mix medium/low speed just until combined. It won’t be smooth and that’s ok.
2. Add 2 cups flour and add the last 1/2 cup slowly just until the dough is no longer sticking to your fingertips. When dough is ready, turn it out onto floured work surface then wash and dry your mixing bowl and make your meringue.
How to Make Meringue Cookie Filling:
1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat 3 room temperature egg whites on high speed 1 minute until thick and foamy. With the mixer on, slowly and gradually add 3/4 cup sugar. Once the sugar is all in, continue beating on high speed for 5 minutes or until the meringue forms stiff peaks when you slowly pull up the whisk.
Tanya’s tip: When you insert and push a spoon through the meringue, it should feel firm.
How to Assemble Meringue Shell Cookies:
1. While meringue is mixing, divide cookie dough into 4 pieces and roll each into a log. Cut each log into 15 equal pieces and roll them into balls between your hands. Roll each ball with a rolling pin into a 2″ diameter circle.
2. Dollop a teaspoon of meringue into the center of each rolled cookie then fold the cookie in half and in half again then lay it on it’s side on the lined baking sheet. Space cookies at least 1/2″ apart.
3. Stuff 3 walnut pieces into the meringue of each cookie then bake at 350˚F for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature before dusting with powdered sugar.
Meringue shell cookies are so magical and pretty this time of year! Looking for more Christmas cookie ideas? Find all of our favorite cookies here.
Meringue Shell Cookies (Rakushki)
Ingredients
For The Shell Cookie Dough:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened, (16 Tbsp or 226 grams)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 315 grams *measured correctly
For the Meringue Cookie Filling:
- 3 egg whites, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups walnut pieces, 3 pieces per cookie
Instructions
How to Make the Cookie Dough:
- !Prep: Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Line a 3/4 baking sheet with parchment (or 2 regular half sheets)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, add: 16 Tbsp butter, 3 egg yolks, 1/2 cup sour cream and mix medium/low speed just until combined. It won't be smooth.
- Add 2 cups flour and add the last 1/2 cup slowly just until dough is no longer sticking to clean fingertips. When dough is ready, turn it out onto floured work surface then wash and dry your mixing bowl and make your meringue:
How to Make Meringue Cookie Filling:
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat 3 room temperature egg whites on high speed 1 minute until thick and foamy. With the mixer on, slowly and gradually add 3/4 cup sugar. Once sugar is all in, continue beating on high for 5 min or until the meringue forms stiff peaks.
How to Assemble Meringue Shell Cookies:
- While meringue is mixing, divide cookie dough into 4 pieces and roll each into a log. Cut each log into 15 equal pieces and roll them into balls between your hands. Roll each ball with a rolling pin into a 2" diameter circle.
- Dollop a teaspoon of meringue into the center of each round then fold the cookie n half and in half again and lay it on it's side on the lined baking sheet. Space cookies at least 1/2" apart.
- Stuff 3 walnut pieces into the meringue of each cookie then bake at 350˚F for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool to room temp before dusting with powdered sugar.
Notes
**Nutrition label shows values per cookie (1 batch makes 60 cookies)
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
We had our Christmas music going making these with the “help” of my 2 1/2 year old. She was so eager to roll some of that dough. Her cookies didn’t resemble shells, but everyone starts somewhere lol.
Do you have any Christmas traditions that happen every year? I’d love to hear all about it in a comment below!
P.S. If you’re up for trying something new, these meringue cookies won’t disappoint. Have a beautiful Christmas season, my friends.
Loads of Love,
Natasha
I have been making these for years, and i can probably eat the entire portion myself, they are that delicious. A trick to perfect the recipe it is to pinch the sides that way the the meringuie doesnt drip out on the baking dish, and it gives it more of a shell look. I partially twist the dough similiar to pelemini.
I’m glad to hear you enjoy the recipe Natalia! Thanks for sharing your helpful review with other readers!
These look great and I appreciate reading the comments of those who have tried them. I’m going to try them for Christmas. But …. I don’t need 60. Do you think it’d work if I halve or quarter the recipe?
Hi Victoria, I think it would still work to make half of the recipe. I would do 2/3 (2 egg whites) for the filling for simplicity 🙂
Csodálatosak ezek a sütik, de nem kell bele sütőpor, vagy szódabikarbóna?
These cookies don’t need baking soda nor baking powder. I hope you’ll give them a try 😬
Köszönöm szépen a gyors választ! Kellemes Karácsonyi Ünnepeket kivánok!
Merry Christmas to you as well 😬
These are so good. Mine weren’t as pretty as yours but they were absolutely delicious. Thank you for this amazing recipe! I like how they are not too sweet. Oh and mine took about 20 minutes in the oven but my oven is kind of small.
I’m glad to hear the recipe is a success! Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers!
Hi Natasha made the meringue cookies I couldn’t resist I ate 3 cookies these cookies are additive and delicious can’t wait for the family to try them,thanks for sharing. Susan in Cedar Creek, Tx.
You’re welcome Susan! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe as much as I do…. I hope your family does too. Thanks for sharing your review’
I made these a couple days ago and they are so so addicting. It took 28 min to bake in my oven. You gotta add the big chunks of nuts, so good, and they toast so nice in the oven.. made a few without nuts but they weren’t as pretty.. the kids ate them tho..my husband ate 10 when they came out of them oven. Yup they are that good.. will make again..
I’m glad to hear your family enjoys the recipe as much as mine does! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
I made these and they are tasty. The cooking time is way off, though.25-30 min. is too long.At 20 min. they tasted almost burnt.Th meringue was brown.15 min. is more like it.(my oven cooks a bit low too).I also think next time I will try my Air bake cookie sheets.
Hi Lauri, if they baked that quickly for you, I’m wondering if you were using a convection oven? Convection does bake considerably faster than conventional since the air is circulating.
Such a great recipe! That dough is absolutely gorgeous. The cookies are incredible delicate. I’m in awww after eating every one lol. Thank you so much. I was wondering if I could use the dough as pastry in tarts.
Hi Cristina, I haven’t tried that but I think it would be worth an experiment! If you try it, let me know how it works out 🙂
Beautiful! I was looking for something unique to add to my Christmas cookie list! This looks like it’ll be very tasty too! I’ll let you know how it goes!
I hope you love them! Please do let me know what you think Beth!
These cookies are so delicious! They also look very pretty and dainty with meringue and walnuts inside.
I’m glad you enjoy the recipe Liliana! Thanks for sharing your great review!
Thank u natasha for great reverie, made today turn so good, big thanks! God bless!
You’re welcome Roux! I’m glad to hear you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Amazing recipe!👍
Thanks Melissa! I’m glad you like it! 🙂
I just made them and I actually toasted the nuts in the oven first and crushed them, and added them to the meringue:) Also added some vanilla sugar to the dough and the filling. The toasted nuts give it such amazing flavor. Thanks so much for this recipe!
You’re welcome Lavinia! I’m glad to hear the recipe is a success! Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers!
Another great and easy recipe, Natasha! The dough is reminiscent of my mother in law’s Polish Kieflies. I love that nutty, buttery aroma in the kitchen. (These are waaay less labor intensive than Kieflies) This may be a new family tradition for my husband and I to make these every holiday season.
I’m so glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe Rosie! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review with other readers!
Greetings, Natasha and all the readers !
Made these cookies last night …. by the end of the baking process I started regretting for not making the Finnish meringue cookies … these cookies took me over 2 hrs to get done… but they definitely taste differently from the Finnish meringue cookies and are very delicious and beautiful… the dough is perfect ! I thought I wasn’t going to make them anymore last night but after I tasted them I think I’ll make them again:-)
Maybe I’ll try rolling out a big sheet of dough and cut out with a round cookie cutter instead of rolling each cookie individually next time. These cookies are definitely a fancy and delicious addition to my cookie collection.
I’m so glad you loved the cookies!! They do take some time since it turns out a big batch (60 cookies!!). 🙂 I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
Hi Natasha,
Can i use Pecans instead of Walnuts?
Hi Ruth, I have tried that and they get a little too brown in the oven. They still taste great in there though and powdered sugar covers everything in the end so if what you have is pecans, it will work 🙂
Would I still be able to make these without a stand mixer? Thanks
Hi Nicole, yes it would work with a hand mixer, but you will probably need to mix with a stiff mixing spoon towards the end of the cookie dough since it will be too thick for the egg beater attachment on a hand mixer. Also, for the meringue, follow the same process (beat egg whites first 1 minute then gradually and slowly add sugar) and you may need to beat the whites a little longer since an electric hand mixer is not as efficient in whipping meringue as a stand mixer.
Bonjour, combien de temps se conservent ces biscuits?
Une francaise qui suit toutes vos recettes
Le traducteur a fait des siennes….. :-/
Hi, I tried to google translate your question ant it sounds like you are asking how long they keep? Once they are all finished and powdered with sugar, keep them at room temperature for 2-3 days. They still taste good up to 5 days later but the meringue doesn’t stay crispy that long. Keep them away from humidity and do not refrigerate or freeze since the humidity in the freezer will soften the meringue.
Hi Natasha those loot so good. I will make them next weekend. For this weekend I made your honey cake. My whole family loves honey cake. Thank you for amazing recipes. Keep them coming you are doing awesome job.
You’re welcome Vicki! I’m happy to hear how much you and your family are enjoying the recipes! Thanks for following and sharing your encouraging comments!
Hey Natasha, these look really good! But the ingredients look almost exactly like the Finnish Meringue cookies, do they taste almost the same? Just running low on time and I don’t know which one to make if they taste almost exactly the same.
Hi Elena, the two recipes have differences and result in a very different cookie texture and flavor. Note this one does not have baking soda and it also does not have sugar in the dough. I tried to replicate these shell cookies using the Finish meringue dough and it did not succeed because the dough was different and puffed up too much because of the baking soda. These are definitely worth trying 🙂