Bits of Gold!

So, as I expected, the US women went 1-2 in the all-around competition (with no help from the judges!). Go Shawn and Nastia! (Photo from www.NBCOlympics.com) I thought that there were several scores that were too low for the US (vault for Liukin and bars and beam, maybe vault slightly, for Johnson) and scores that were way too generous for some others (especially the Chinese on beam). However, they did what they came to do and won gold and silver. So, in honor of them I will give you a recipe with some gold, or toffee however you care to look at it, inside! This recipe is from an old baking cookbook. It's called All About Home Baking and is copyright 1933. At some point, I will type the introduction, parts of it, for you because it makes me laugh. However, this is a recipe that I modified just a bit. Icebox cookies are so simple and can be done many ways. In fact, that is the only type cookie in this cookbook but there are multiple flavors of them. I chose just the simple vanilla nut cookies and added some "gold" to it! The great thing about these cookies is that you can make the dough and then slice and bake as you'd like to have some cookies, kind of like buying the premade dough...except it's homemade!!! So, enjoy some bits of gold! Vanilla Nut Toffee Cookies adapted from All About Home Baking
1 cup butter or other shortening (I used 1 stick butter, 1/2 cup shortening)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup toffee pieces
4 cups sifted flour
3 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream butter until smooth. Gradually add sugars and cream until fluffy. Add eggs, nuts, vanilla, and toffee (to prevent overmixing later). Sift flour. Add baking powder and salt to it. Then add gradually to butter mixture. The dough will be stiff but not overly so. It can be crumbly but mine was not, it held together well. Split the dough in half. Roll each half into a 1 1/2 inch roll/log and wrap in waxed paper. Chill in refrigerator overnight or in freezer for a few hours if pressed for time (this is what I did). When ready to bake, preheat oven to 425F. Slice into 1/4 inch slices and place on baking sheet. Bake for five minutes or until done. Do not overbake. I recommend taking the cookies out when they are just barely starting to golden up. Let cool on pan for a couple of minutes. Remove to cooling rack for a few minutes. Makes 6-7 dozen.