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The flour amount is a range (250-280 g) because flours absorb differently, so add it gradually and stop as soon as the dough is soft but no longer sticks to your hands. If it still clings, work in a little more flour from the upper end of the range rather than dusting heavily during rolling, which toughens the cookies. The 20-minute chill also firms up the butter and oil and makes rolling to 3-4 mm much easier, so don't skip it.

The walnuts are there for texture in the filling, so finely chopped hazelnuts or almonds work in the same 35 g amount, and you can leave them out entirely if you need a nut-free version. Any plain yogurt works for the 1 tablespoon; it only needs to add a little moisture and tenderness. For the oil, use another neutral-tasting oil - something strongly flavored would compete with the vanilla and cinnamon.

Almost always the filling was too wet or too generous. Cook the grated apples the full 8 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated, and let the filling cool completely - warm filling softens the dough and steams its way out. Stick to about 1 heaped teaspoon per 7 cm circle, keep the edges free of filling, and press the folded rim firmly to seal.

Yes - the apple filling is the ideal make-ahead component, since it has to cool completely anyway; cook it in advance and keep it covered in the fridge. The dough can also rest longer than the 20 minutes given; if it has been chilled for hours it will be firm, so let it sit at room temperature briefly until it rolls out without cracking. You can also shape the filled cookies and bake them straight afterwards.

Let the cookies cool completely, then keep them in an airtight tin at room temperature - the apple filling keeps them moist, and a sealed container stops the shortcrust from drying out. Don't refrigerate them, as that tends to make this kind of buttery dough firm and dry. Because they are baked light with only slightly golden edges, they stay tender rather than crisp.