Dutch Butter Cookies

My grandma made these cookies every year at Christmas time.  They have always been one of my favorites!  I made them one year for the County Fair and they won second place and a cash prize.  They are a very delicate, crispy, flaky cookie, similar to a shortbread. 

Dutch Butter Cookies
2 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. butter (4 sticks) softened to room temperature
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup halved walnuts (I use pecans)
1 cup halved maraschino cherries
   Rinse the cherries in cold water to remove any juice.  Cut them in half and rinse them again.  Pat dry with a paper towel.  Doing this will help keep the juice from turning the cookies pink.  I like to keep my pecans and cherries halved and still fairly big sized.  When you slice the cookies to bake them it will cut the cherries and nuts down a little smaller and yet still give you good sized pieces in the cookies.  Mix all the ingredients together except the cherries.  Gently fold them in at the end.  Lay a sheet of wax paper about 15 inches long on the counter.  Place 1/4 of the dough onto the wax paper and form a 12 inch log.  Wrap the paper around and twist the ends.  Place the log onto a 15 inch sheet of aluminum foil and wrap it the same way.  The foil will allow you to twist just a little more firmly and help create a nice round log of dough.  Repeat these steps 3 more times for 4 logs of cookie dough.  Freeze the dough overnight or until firm.  They can remain in the freezer for up to 3 months.  Bake as many as you like at a time,!  Each log can be sliced with a sharp knife.  Unwrap both the foil and the wax paper before cutting cookies.  I like to cut about 12-14 cookies from each log or just under one inch slices.  Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until just lightly golden.  Be careful!  They burn very easily!