37th First Lady of the United States from 1969-1974 // Adapted from the First Ladies Cook Book, Parents’ Magazine Press (1977 edition)
Pat Nixon was an incredible First Lady so it’s no surprise that her Walnut Clusters are incredible. too.
These cookies come from the First Ladies Cookbook and feature toasted walnuts enrobed in a light chocolate cookie shell. And they couldn’t be easier to make.
Don’t skip toasting the walnuts. It takes only a few minutes and makes a real difference, deepening their flavor and adding a richness that raw walnuts just can’t match. These cookies are mostly nuts, so give them the attention they deserve!
One thing worth knowing before you start: there is surprisingly little chocolate batter. When I made these the first time, I thought I had done something wrong, but I hadn’t. There is just enough batter to coat the walnuts and create a shell that holds everything together. Trust the process!
Pat’s recipe lists the chocolate drizzle as optional — but that extra hit of chocolate is what takes these from good to great, especially if you’re a chocolate lover.
The cookies are slightly crisp, slightly chewy, and utterly timeless — just like the woman behind the recipe.
Check out the video below to learn more about this amazing First Lady!
Sources: The First Ladies Cookbook, Parents’ Magazine Press (1977 edition) // White House Historical Association: Pat Nixon // Wikipedia: Pat Nixon
Walnut Cluster Recipe Video
Learn more about Pat Nixon
Pat Nixon’s Walnut Clusters
Ingredients
- 1½ oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted (baking chocolate or semi-sweet chips)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup salted butter, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
- Optional/Recommended: 1-2 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Melt chocolate in a double boiler and set aside to cool slightly.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add egg and vanilla extract and mix well.
- Stir melted chocolate into the butter mixture.
- Add flour mixture and stir just until incorporated. The batter will be very sparse — this is intentional, as the walnuts make up most of the cookie.
- Fold in the walnuts.
- Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls (about 1 ½ inches in diameter) onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until set; the tops should feel dry to the touch.
- Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Optional: Drizzle melted chocolate on top of each cookie for an additional hit of chocolate, which I highly recommend.
