Private Cookie Stash: Butter Horn Cookies

'Tis the season for cookies! After spending all day prepping and baking for holiday cookie tray orders , I always find time to bake a batch of these delightful treats. A simple dough of butter, sour cream and flour is thinly rolled, filled with cinnamon, sugar, nuts or your favorite jelly, shaped into a crescent and baked until golden brown. You won't find these cookies on the menu at  Sweet Maria's, but I am happy to share the recipe. Taking the time to roll out the dough and roll up the crescents reminds me of the therapeutic  power of baking , and the simple sweetness of the season.

 Butter Horn Cookies

Dough

1/2 pound unsalted butter, softened

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/2-2 cups flour

Filling

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

In an electric mixer, cream butter and sour cream until well blended. Add egg yolk. On low speed, Add 1 1/2 cups flour and mix until just blended.Knead in any additional flour to make a soft, not sticky dough.  Wrap dough inplastic and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a small bowl, combine walnuts sugar and cinnamon.

Divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll first piece of dough onto a lightly floured surface to 1/8" thick. Spread with one quarter of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Using a fluted pastry cutter, or knife, cut int wedges. Starting at the large end, roll dough into a crescent. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet, spacing each 2-inches apart. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove cookie sheet from the oven. Cool cookies on wire cooling rack.

Makes about 40 cookies.