Cream Cheese Walnut Cookies

Martha Stewart Living, 2004

MAKES ABOUT 4 DOZEN

    4 cups flour                                                   
    1 1/4 teaspoons salt                                           
    1 pound butter softened                                        
    6 ounces cream cheese room temp.                               
    1 1/4 cups sugar                                               
    2 tablespoons + 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract                       
    2 1/2 cups walnuts 1 1/2 c toasted, chop; 1 c finely chop      

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Whisk together flour and salt in a large bowl; set aside.

Put butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in sugar and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add the flour mixture, and mix until just combined (do not over-mix). Mix in toasted walnuts.

Transfer dough to a clean work surface. Divide in half; shape each piece into an 8 1/2-inch-long log (about 2 inches in diameter). Wrap each log in parchment paper; freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Remove one log from freezer. Roll in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, coating completely. Cut log into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.Transfer rounds to parchment-lined sheets.

Bake, switching positions of sheets and rotating halfway through, until cookies are golden around the edges, 18 to 2O minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool completely. Repeat process with remaining dough using cooled baking sheets.

MY NOTES: The walnuts you roll the dough into need to be REALLY finely chopped-almost to dust.  Roll it into a log BEFORE rolling parchment around it. Although I also wonder...if you cover it with chopped walnuts after you roll it, but before the parchment...won't they stick? Can you just throw them into the batter instead?

MXF