Nuts with boiled condensed milk from Pechka Charodeyka, 300g

Nuts with boiled condensed milk are a typical Soviet homemade dessert, cemented as a "childhood taste" for several generations. These cookies are considered a Soviet invention, and their widespread popularity stems from the development of special "nut-making" molds around the early 1950s.

In 1952, cast metal molds with indentations for nut halves began to be produced, and by 1953, the recipe was included in the famous collection "On Tasty and Healthy Food." The dough was baked in a nut-making mold to form empty "shells," which were then filled with homemade boiled condensed milk and paired together. Condensed milk was often cooked at home: a sealed can was boiled for 2-3 hours, ensuring it was completely submerged in water, otherwise the can could explode and stain the entire kitchen—stories like these are recounted by many families.

These nuts were rarely sold in stores; they were baked at home for holidays, so the dessert acquired the status of a special, "family" treat. The nuts are directly associated with the scarce sweet condensed milk, which was rationed and saved for special occasions, which reinforced their nostalgic aura.