Toffee Nut Bars, a Vintage Recipe

A great bar cookie recipe, not gooey or chewy. There is a chopped nut base, then a crumb layer, then a thin spongy spicy cake-y layer. The amounts of spices can be adjusted to your taste. These work pretty well for me. From the archives in my collection. My daughter requested these, reminding me that I used to make them a lot. Things do get mislaid, though. And/or forgotten. Naaahhhh, who forgets anything at my age?!

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 10
• Yields: 36-40 cookie bars

Ingredients

• 1  cup  nuts, chopped
• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 3⁄4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2  cups flour
• 1⁄2 cup margarine or 1⁄2 cup shortening or 1⁄2 cup butter

• Beat together

• 1  egg
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1  cup buttermilk or 1  cup  sour milk
• 1⁄4 teaspoon allspice
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1  tablespoon coffee or 1  tablespoon instant coffee, dissolved in a little water

Directions

1. Mix together as for pie crust: the sugar, brown sugar, flour and butter.
2. Sprinkle bottom of 11 x 15 pan ungreased with 1 cup chopped nuts, then with 2 cups of above mixture.
3. Beat together the remaining ingredients.
4. Stir into flour mix. Pour over mix in pan, spreading gently and evenly.
5. Bake in a 350 oven 35-40 minute.
6. Cut into as many bars as desired.