1. To make pastry dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the granulated sugar, salt and vanilla. Add 1 cup of the flour and mix on low speed just until the flour disappears. Mix in the remaining flour, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl once with a rubber spatula. Do not overmix. 

2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Flour your hands and form the dough into a rectangle. Divide it into thirds. Shape each piece into a thick disk about 5 inches in diameter. Tightly wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 1 hour. (The dough can be made up to 2 days in advance.)

3. Position one rack in the center and another rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking liner, or use nonstick baking sheets.

4. To make the filling, in a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon and set aside. To make the jam easier to spread, place it in a small bowl and warm in a microwave on High for several seconds, or warm in a small saucepan over low heat. 

5. Remove 1 dough disk from the refrigerator. Lightly flour a work surface and a rolling pin. Roll out the dough into a round about 14 inches in diameter. Using a pastry brush, spread the dough with one-third of the jam, leaving a 1-inch border uncovered. Evenly sprinkle with one-third of the sugar mixture, again leaving the border uncovered. Then scatter one-third of the walnuts and currants over the sugar mixture. 

6. Using a knife, pastry cutter, or pizza wheel, cut the pastry rounds into quarters. Cut each quarter into 3 wedges. Starting at the outside edge and working toward the point, snugly roll up each wedge to form a crescent. As the crescents are formed, arrange them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Repeat with the remaining dough disks and filling ingredients. 

7. Bake the cookies until lightly browned on the edges and bottom, 25-30 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely. Just before serving, using a small fine-mesh sieve, generously dust the cookies. (The cookies can be made up to 3 days ahead. Layer them between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container and store at room temperature. Or, they can be frozen for up to 2 weeks.)

Diane Morgan, The Christmas Table, Chronicle Books (2008).