---
title: "Nussecken: A Small German treat that somehow enriched Saigon"
url: "https://lui.vn/nussecken-a-small-german-treat-that-somehow-enriched-saigon/"
language: "en"
type: "article"
published: "2025-11-23T05:25:23+00:00"
modified: "2026-04-13T16:30:46+00:00"
categories: ["Life & Leisure"]
kicker: "Nussecken In Saigon"
intro: "Nussecken - a German childhood pastry recreated in a tropical Sài Gòn kitchen. Hazelnut, chocolate, and 12,000 kilometers of nostalgia."
image: "https://lui.vn/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/german-nut-triangles-pieces-1-1920x1080.png"
image_credits: "Image: Taken by lui.vn / AI-enhanced with google/nano-banana-pro by lui.vn"
---

# Nussecken: A Small German treat that somehow enriched Saigon

There’s something quietly glorious about stumbling across a childhood pastry recipe on the other side of the planet, then challenging yourself to recreate it in a tropical kitchen that smells nothing like Germany. That’s how I ended up elbow-deep in hazelnuts that cost roughly the price of a small motorbike part (640k VNĐ per kilogram, or about 22 EUR) – imported, of course, because Vietnam and hazelnuts still refuse to be friends – and baking my first batch of Nussecken in Saigon.

I cut them into neat little rectangular bites instead of the traditional triangles, dipped one or both of their edges in chocolate like a smug chocolatier, and carried them off to my boyfriend and colleagues. They inhaled them, praised the nutty sweetness, and immediately told me to open a shop. Classic Saigon energy – you hand people a pastry and suddenly you’re supposed to build an empire.

Still, they were right about one thing: For a moment, while savoring those buttery, caramel-coated hazelnut bites, I felt the quiet warmth of old German winters again, wrapped in a memory that somehow fit perfectly into this chaotic, sunlit city. Here’s how to make them:

## Ingredients

### Dough

- 225 g all-purpose flour
- 75 g cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 125 g sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 125 g unsalted butter, melted

### Topping

- 100 g berry jam, for example raspberry
- 200 g unsalted butter
- 200 g sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons water
- 400 g ground hazelnuts
- 1 bar dark chocolate (for dipping the corners)

## Preparation

1. Make the dough:
    Stir together the melted butter and sugar until creamy. Add the remaining dough ingredients and knead into a smooth dough.
2. Prepare the base:
    Roll the dough onto a baking sheet lined with reusable baking paper. Spread the berry jam evenly on top.
3. Make the topping:
    Melt the butter and sugar together, stirring until creamy. Mix in the hazelnuts and water. Spread this nut mixture evenly over the jam layer.
4. Bake:
    Bake at 180 Celsius for 50 minutes until golden.
5. Shape the triangles:
    Allow to cool completely. Cut into squares of about 8 x 8 cm, then optionally cut each square into two triangles.
6. Chocolate the corners:
    Chill the baked pastry in the fridge for easier chocolate dipping. Dip the corners in melted dark chocolate. And finally, enjoy!