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Qottab Persian walnut filled pastry.
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4.87 from 15 votes

Walnut Filled Persian Pastry - Qottab

Qottab is a Persian pastry filled with walnuts is a delicious traditional treat from Iran. Delicate and flaky dough is filled with a combination of walnuts and cardamom - making this the perfect Persian dessert! 
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Resting time2 hours
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Persian
Servings: 30 Pastries
Calories: 127kcal

Ingredients

  • ½ cup plain yogurt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 ½ cup all purpose flour

Walnut Filling:

  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 2 tablespoon powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon rosewater
  • 1 ½ tsp ground cardamom

Final Steps:

  • ¾ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Mix the yogurt and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
  • Mix the melted butter with the egg yolks. Add in the yogurt and stir to combine.
  • Add in the flour and mix using a spatula and then your hands to bring the dough together. Make sure not to over knead the dough.
  • Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for one hour.

Walnut Filling:

  • Grind the walnuts in a blender or food processor. Mix them with powdered sugar, rosewater and ground cardamom. 

Make the pastries:

  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
  • Flour the counter top well and roll out the dough at about ⅛ inch thickness.
  • Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter (or the rim of a glass) cut out circles and set them aside. Bring the scraps together and repeat this step until you've cut out all the dough.
  • Place ½ to 1 teaspoon walnut filling in the center of each dough piece. Fold the dough in half and pinch and seal the edges by rolling and folding the edges little by little.  
  • Place the walnut filled pastries on the baking sheet. Bake the pastries in the oven for 15 to 18 minutes until they're golden brown. Flip them halfway through.
  • Take the pastries out of the oven and roll them in powdered sugar. 

Notes

  1. You can use either regular or non-dairy yogurt as long as they're not flavored. 
  2. If the dough hasn't come together after adding 1 ⅔ cup all purpose flour and is still sticky, add more flour, ¼ cup at a time until it's not sticky anymore. 
  3. Taste the filling before proceeding. You might need to add more powdered sugar, I usually don't like mine very sweet but some might like it sweeter. Use powdered sugar cautiously as you're going to roll the pastry in powdered sugar after you bake them, too. 
  4. Don't over-knead the dough as it would release the oil and dry out later. 
  5. You can seal the edges by pressing the fork on the edges. You can also pinch the edges together at once and make a small dough ball. 
  6. You can also fry Qottab. To fry these pastries, fill a medium sized sauce pan up to two inches, and heat over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, fry the pastries for about three to five minute until it's all golden brown. Place on a kitchen towel to absorb extra oil and then roll in powdered sugar. 

Nutrition

Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg