*Use block cream cheese, not whipped cream cheese.
*Two tips for keeping your logs of dough in a round shape: When I refrigerate the crumb coated logs, I stand them up in tall drinking glasses. As I mentioned within the recipe, I also roll the dough as I cut it. Applying pressure to only one cutting side pushes the dough down on your cutting surface and can create a flat side. I just cut, then roll the dough slightly to a different side and cut again. I repeat this until the log is completely cut.
*If you used my tip for chilling the dough in glasses, one end of your dough should be flat and clean for that first slice. When you get to the end that isn't flat, just bake it with the bumpy side down and the nice flat cut side up.
*I used my mini processor to make the crumbs for the crackers and nuts. I used a slightly heaping 1/4 cup of pecan pieces for the crumbs and about 2 graham cracker sheets for the 1/4 cup of graham crumbs.
*I left my crumb coated rolls in the refrigerator overnight. It's not necessary, but it's great for time flexibility. Mix them and shape them one day. The next day, whenever you're ready, you just slice and bake.
*Baking times will depend on how thick you slice your cookies and how long or short your dough log is. I decided to bake these in my convection oven at 350 and it took about 11 or 12 minutes. I used convection on these to keep the tops from browning too much and because I like baking cookies with convection. They will work out just fine in a regular oven at 375. I've done that also. Either way, just check them at 8 minutes (earlier if you made smaller cookies) and then keep your eye on them. You can lift a cookie off the sheet to check the bottoms to see if they are browning.
Recipe Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies, December, 2000