Santa's Little Walnut Helpers
Source: Adapted from Walnut Marketing Board and Sherry
Topping:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped California walnuts
Dough:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
scant 2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Prepare Topping: In small mixing bowl stir together sugar, sour cream and cinnamon until smooth. Stir in walnuts; set aside.
Prepare Dough: In mixing bowl bream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy. On low speed gradually add dry ingredients, beating just until smooth.
Divide dough into twenty four equal balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. With your fingertips, make a wide, round depression in the center of each cookie, reaching almost to the edges and leaving a rim. Fill depression in cookies with walnut topping, mounding fairly high above rims.
Bake in 350 oven 15 minutes, until filling is set. Transfer cookies to rack to cool.
Makes 2 dozen cookies. These are rather large cookies, so I like to cut into 4 wedges for bite size pieces.
Note - I also make into bars: Double topping ingredients. Press dough into 13x9 pan, pour topping over and bake at 350 for 45 minutes,
Bars