Buttery dough, walnuts, cocoa, cinnamon, and cloves create fragrant bear paws with a bold flavor and their typical dark color. This traditional cookie is baked in molds at 180 °C, and the baking itself takes just 7 minutes.
The preparation is not complicated; the most time-consuming part is thoroughly working the dough and pressing it into the individual molds. The original recipe does not specify the amount of cinnamon and cloves, so we add them to taste. With spices, it’s better to start with a smaller amount so they don’t overpower the flavor of the cocoa, butter, and nuts.
What You’ll Need
- 350 g plain flour,
- 250 g butter,
- 150 g sugar,
- 120 g walnuts,
- 20 g cocoa powder,
- ground cinnamon to taste,
- ground cloves to taste,
- a pinch of baking powder.
The original recipe does not specify the exact amount of cinnamon and cloves, so adjust them to your own taste. The type of nuts and sugar is also not specified.
Step-by-Step Preparation:
1. Preparing the nuts: Finely grind or blend the walnuts so they distribute evenly in the dough. Pieces that are too large can make it difficult to press the dough into smaller molds and may cause the bear paws to break more easily after baking.
2. Mixing the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, ground walnuts, cocoa powder, and a pinch of baking powder. Add cinnamon and ground cloves to taste and mix all the dry ingredients thoroughly so the cocoa and spices are evenly distributed.
3. Adding the butter: Add 250 g of butter to the prepared mixture. Gradually work the butter into the flour mixture until the ingredients start to come together and there are no large dry spots left in the bowl.
4. Working the dough: Knead the mixture by hand into a cohesive dough. Work carefully to ensure there are no unmixed pieces of butter or clumps of cocoa and spices. The finished dough should hold together and be easy to press into the molds.
5. Preparing the molds: Prepare clean bear paw molds and arrange them on a baking sheet. Take small pieces of dough, matching the size of your molds, so each cookie turns out about the same size.
6. Filling the molds: Press the dough into the prepared molds with your fingers, making sure to press it firmly against the patterned sides. Level the surface so the bear paws bake evenly. Don’t overfill the molds, as the dough contains a pinch of baking powder.
7. Preheating the oven: Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Proper preheating is important for such a short bake time, as the bear paws only spend a few minutes in the oven and need to start baking immediately after being placed inside.
8. Baking: Place the filled molds in the oven preheated to 180 °C and bake the bear paws for exactly 7 minutes, as the original recipe states. Because of the dough’s dark color, don’t judge doneness by appearance alone—stick to the recommended time.
9. Finishing: After 7 minutes, remove the molds from the oven. Handle the hot cookies carefully and let them cool enough so you can safely turn them out without unnecessary breaking.
How to Work with Spices
Cinnamon and cloves give bear paws their characteristic aroma, but the original recipe does not specify the exact amounts. Add them to taste, but use cloves sparingly, as they have a stronger aroma than cinnamon.
First, mix the spices into the dry ingredients. This ensures they don’t end up in just one part of the dough and that all the baked cookies have a similar taste and aroma.
How to Fill the Molds Evenly
For molds of the same size, use roughly the same amount of dough. Always press the dough right up to the patterned sides so the full design is visible after unmolding. An even layer also ensures all the bear paws are done within the stated 7 minutes.
If you use molds of different sizes, place similar sizes together. During the short baking time, you can then better monitor whether the smaller pieces are baking faster than the larger ones.
What to Watch Out for When Baking
Cocoa dough is already dark before baking, so overbaking may not be immediately obvious. Stick to the temperature of 180 °C and the stated 7 minutes, and don’t leave the tray in the oven longer just because the bear paws aren’t golden.
Freshly baked dough may be fragile right out of the oven. Don’t rush when handling, and pick up the molds carefully until they’ve cooled enough to safely turn out the cookies.
