Nussstangen: German Hazelnut Twists

Could you imagine a German afternoon coffee without a sweet treat? Me neither. These Nussstangen or German Hazelnut Twists are one of my very favorite pastries. Try to not eat 3 at once like I did when I made them.

Servings:

12

Ready In:

2 hours

Calories:

200

Good For:

Coffee

Nussstangen

About this Recipe

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These German yeast pastries are made from a smooth, buttery yeast dough that's filled with loads of hazelnuts, then twisted and baked, brushed with apricot jam, drizzled with lemon glaze and sprinkled with sliced almonds after baking. Do I need to say more? They remind me of my school time in Germany, when I attended Auguste-Viktoria-Gymnasium near the Trier Dom (the biggest Catholic Church in Trier). During breaks or sometimes after school I would often make a stop by one of the many nearby bakeries on my walk back home to pick up a Belegtes Brötchen (a German seeded bun usually topped with salami, cheese, butter, sliced egg, cucumber and tomato) or one of the many delicious pastries, such as this Nussstange, or Nussplunder. It's hard to resist the juicy, nutty filling that's contrasted by the tartness of the apricot and lemon glaze. They're not hard to make at all and so worth it! Transport yourself to Germany for a while as you're enjoying these while sipping on a cup of coffee for breakfast or Kaffee und Kuchen.

Ingredients For Nussstangen

• 1 pouch (7 g) dry yeast
• 3.5 oz (100 ml) lukewarm milk
• 2 c (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoon (40 g) sugar
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2.5 tablespoon (40 g) butter (room temperature)
• 1 egg
• 1 pinch salt

Hazelnut Filling:

• 1.5 tablespoon (25 g) melted butter
• ⅔ c (75 g) ground hazelnuts
• 2 tablespoon (25 g) sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 to 2 Tbsp milk

Egg Wash:

• 1 egg yolk
• 2 Tbsp milk
• pinch salt

Glaze & Topping:

• 2 Tbsp apricot jam (I ended up using plum jam!)
• ½ c (50 g) powdered sugar 
• juice of half a lemon
• ¼ c (40 g) sliced, toasted almonds

HELPFUL TIPS:

• Jam Glaze: I love how the jam gives it that shiny coating, and is adding just the perfect amount of sweetness. The dough itself isn't very sweet, so this is where you can make up for that. I also love using other jams that just the standard apricot jam. For my glaze this time, I used this really tasty plum jam!
• Lemon Glaze: This one is totally optional, but I love it! I would wait to add this until the pastries have cooled down some, so it doesn't just run off.

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Nussstangen Essentials

Nussstangen Step By Step Instructions

Step 1

Stir the yeast and lukewarm milk together and allow to activate for 5 to 10 minutes. In the bowl of a stand mixer, sift together flour and sugar and add in the yeast-milk mixture. Using a fork, combine to form a starter dough. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes.

Step 2

Add in lemon zest, butter, egg and a pinch of salt. Using the dough hook of your mixer, knead for 8 minutes until you have a smooth dough. Cover and let rest in a warm spot for 45 minutes.

Step 3

For the hazelnut filling, combine all ingredients with a small whisk. The filling should be soft and spreadable. If it's not, add in some milk as needed. After the dough finished rising, briefly knead on a floured work surface and roll out to a 20 by 8 inch rectangle. Spread the nut filling onto the middle section longways (see picture in my gallery).

Step 4

Make the egg wash by whisking together the ingredients. Using it as glue, brush it onto the top and bottom dough sections that don't have the filling on them, folding them over the filling (see picture in gallery). Cut the dough into 12 pieces.

Step 5

Prep your baking sheet with parchment paper (I ended up using 2 sheets to allow more room between the pastries). Stretch out the dough a little by pulling on the short sides, then twist a few times and lay flat on the baking sheets. Allow to rise for 30 more minutes.

Step 6

Brush on the egg wash on your Nussstangen and bake on the convection setting at 320 Fahrenheit/160 Celsius for 18 to 20 minutes. Heat the jam (apricot or plum) in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds, then brush onto the pastries. If desired, prepare lemon-sugar glaze and drizzle on after the pastries have cooled, then sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Next Up:

Kohlrabi Pasta

Kohlrabi is a German-style cabbage that can be stuffed, cut up, eaten raw and cooked with and I absolutely love it! Make sure to subscribe to my blog now, so you're not missing out when my new Kohlrabi Pasta recipe goes live!

Sponsored Content and Affiliate Links Disclosure

I received compensation from Niche Import Co. in exchange for writing this post. Although this post is sponsored, all opinions, thoughts and recipes are my own. This post contains affiliate links, which means that I may be compensated if you click certain links.