Author Notes
This was a recipe my Mother picked up somewhere. She was always looking for new things to cook and her Christmas cookies became a small business. She sold platters at Christmas. I love these particular cookies and helped her make them. There was no written recipe so I reconstructed them from long ago memories. I have never found a recipe exactly like them ( and I have tried!).
When I was a Senior in HS I sold a box of my Mother's cookies to a teacher who needed them for a gift exchange. She ate them before the day was over and questioned me about them being from a home baker. She thought they must have come from a bakery! My Mother was a truly great cook in every way ; confident, curious, and schooled by years of providing wonderful things for family and friends. —Annie stader
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Ingredients
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8 ounces
Cream cheese
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8 ounces
Unsalted butter
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8 ounces
All purpose flour
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3
Egg whites
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3 tablespoons
Sugar
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1/2 teaspoon
Vanilla
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1 pinch
Salt
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1/4 teaspoon
Cinnamon
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1 cup
Fine to medium chopped walnuts
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1/2 cup
Powdered sugar for rolling ( more as needed , be generous)
Directions
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Place butter ,flour and cream cheese in food processor and process to make a smooth dough. ( 45 to 60 seconds)
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Remove dough , form a disc and chill in fridge for at least 2 hours up to 24.
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Just before rolling dough, make meringue.
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Add salt , vanilla , sugar and cinnamon to egg whites and whip with hand mixer until very soft peaks form.
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Stir in walnuts.
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Liberally dust rolling surface with powdered sugar and roll out the dough to 1/8 inch. Using powdered sugar to roll the dough creates a slightly caramelized surface.
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Cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch by 3 inch strips.
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Add 1 heaping teaspoon of the meringue and roll into log shape. They should be quite full and filling may poke out on the sides. Roll so the dough just overlaps enough to hold together.
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Bake on parchment lined cookie sheet 18-20 minutes. Be sure to leave one inch between cookies because they expand.
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Cool on sheet and liberally dust with sugar.
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