1 C butter, at room temperature
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
1 egg
2-1/2 C flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 C chopped walnuts
1 t vanilla
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together. Stir in the egg and vanilla, then stir the dry ingredients into this mixture, a little at a time.
On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into two 10-inch logs and wrap each one in plastic wrap. They don’t have to be perfectly round — you can make them slightly square on each side, or oblong. Refrigerate for 4 hours. You can also freeze the dough at this point and bake it later. It keeps for a few months, as long as you don’t store it in the freezer with fish or onions.
To bake, preheat the oven to 375. Cut the dough into thin (1/4-inch or less) slices, place on ungreased baking sheet, and press a few nuts on top of each cookie. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until brown. Remove pans and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before removing the individual cookies to racks to cool completely.
Anise Icebox Cookies: Substitute 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/2 t ground cloves, and 1 T aniseed for the vanilla.
Ginger Icebox Cookies: Substitute 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/2 t ground cloves, and 2 t ground ginger for the vanilla.