Recipe Swap Thursday- Sugar Cheese Crescents

Therese requested Christmas Cookie recipes for this week. This is one of my favorites. It's an unsual cookie. There's nothing really Christmas-y about it, other than my mom only made them at Christmas. First the recipe, then a story.

Sugar Cheese Crescents

1 cup sugar (divided)
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup softened butter (I use margerine)
1/3 cup sweetened applesauce
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and all remaining ingredients except cheese and cinnamon. Blend well, then add cheese. Mix cinnamon with remaining sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into balls by rounded teaspoonfuls. Roll balls in cinnamon sugar mixture. Shape into crescents.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Remove from sheet immediately.

This is one of my all time favorite cookie recipes. I used to help my mom make these every Christmas. I think my other favorite would be my Busia's Kolachy. There's a bunch of different takes on Kolachy... my grandma's were cookies... made with pastry, with jelly placed on top, then topped with powdered sugar. (I know some people do a Kolachy that is more like a coffee cake.)That's one recipe I don't have yet... will have to get it from my mom. I could gorge myself on Christmas cookies each year, except I don't normally have time to bake that many. These are really good slightly warm with a big glass of milk!