One of our staff members is addicted to the rich, mellow taste of his friend Stephanie's walnut cookies. She began making them as a young bride thirty-five years ago, and her family has never celebrated the holidays without a batch or two since.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 36 cookies

　　1 stick (1/2 cup), unsalted butter, softened, plus 1 tablespoon, melted and cooled

　　3 ounces cream cheese, softened

　　1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1 large egg

　　3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

　　1/4 teaspoon vanilla

　　1/2 cup walnuts, chopped fine

　　

Step 1

In the bowl of an electric mixer cream 1 stick of the butter with the cream cheese until the mixture is light and fluffy, add the flour and the salt, and beat the mixture until it forms a dough. Form the dough into a disk and chill it, wrapped in plastic wrap, for 30 minutes. Press rounded teaspoons of the dough into thirty-six 1/8-cup muffin tins and work the dough evenly onto the bottoms and up the sides of the tins to form 1/8-inch-shells.

　　

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a bowl whisk together the egg, the brown sugar, the melted butter, and the vanilla until the mixture is combined well. Divide the filling among the shells, sprinkle it with the walnuts, and bake the walnut cups in the middle of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crusts are golden. Let the cookies cool in the tins on racks for 10 minutes, remove them from the tins carefully, and let them cool completely on the racks. The walnut cups may be made 2 months in advance and kept frozen in airtight containers.