Today, I came across this recipe that I had made once around Christmas time. When it comes to the holidays, I am always trying to find something different than the same old cookies that everybody makes. These cookies are much like pecan tassies but walnuts are used and the crust is folded over, so I would consider them more of a pastry than a cookie. This recipe makes about 28 cookies and takes about 1/2 hr to 45 minutes prep time. They go fast, so you might want to double the recipe.
Walnut Pillow Cookies
adapted from all recipes website
Ingredients:
3 oz cold cream cheese
1/2 cup cold butter (cannot use any substitute)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup ground walnuts ( I used my blender for this)
1 1/4 cup flour
2 tbs milk
1/2 tsp flavoring extract (vanilla or almond)
1 beaten egg
confectioner's sugar for dusting
In a large bowl, use a pastry cutter to blend together flour, butter and cream cheese. Once it resembles coarse crumbs, mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until you have a dough. This should take about 3 minutes. After that, you will form dough into a rectangle and wrap with plastic wrap, making sure all is covered. Place place dough in fridge for about a hour until firm.
While waiting, you can make the cookie filling. In a separate bowl, mix together the walnuts, milk, granulated sugar and extract.
Once the dough has firmed up, you are ready to assemble your cookies, but first you will need to preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Take the dough out and roll between two sheets of parchment paper or wax paper, making a rectangle measuring 17 1/2 X 10 inches. Then you cut into squares measuring 2 1/2 X 2 1/2 inches.
In the center of each square, place one level tsp of filling. Then moisten edges of squares, fold dough over and seal edges with a fork. Brush tops with beaten egg. Place each cookie one inch apart on an ungreased baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Place cookies on wire rack to cool and dust with confectioners sugar. Continue this process until all cookies are made and baked.