Another recipe from my mother’s mother. My copy, written in my grandmother’s handwriting on a piece of scrap paper, lists only the ingredients, but I’ve provided instructions here on how to assemble them. I’m not a huge black walnut fan, but these cookies remind me of Christmas and my grandmother— good memories both.
3/4 cup of melted butter, cooled
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup black walnuts, chopped
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat brown sugar with cooled melted butter. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. Add dry ingredients gradually to butter mixture, mixing until well-blended. Stir in vanilla and black walnuts. Dough will be stiff.
Shape dough into 2 long logs. Wrap logs in waxed paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice chilled dough into 1/4” thick slice. Place on slices in slightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until edges and bottoms of cookies have browned slightly. Cool on racks and store in airtight cookie tins. Makes 4 dozen cookies.
