Cream Cheese-Walnut Cookies

Cream Cheese-Walnut Cookies(Adapted from MS Cookies)

4 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
6 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups walnut halves* See below how to prepare these

*1 1/2 cups toasted and chopped
*1 cup finely chopped

In large bowl, whisk together flour and salt and set aside.

Place 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 overmix). Mix in the toasted walnuts.

Transfer dough to a clean work surface. Divide in half; shape each into an 8 1/2 to 8" long log. Wrap each log in saran wrap and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

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

Bake, switching the sheets and rotating halfway through until cookies are golden around the edges, 16 to 20 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Repeat the same process with the other dough log and 1/2 cup walnuts.