Icebox Cookies w. Candied Ginger

I've discovered icebox cookies and omigosh I am going to be the best hostess EVER from now on. Anytime someone stops by my humble abode, I will sweetly offer some freshly baked cookies - just call me Martha. Basically, icebox cookies are cookies that you can keep frozen for a couple of months, and you just slice and bake whatever you need - it only takes around 10 minutes to bake, so your guests will be completely blown away by yo craay-zay kitchen skills. I'm totally going to be Betty from Mad Men, all I need now is to sleep with my make-up on and invest in a floral apron. Christmas gift idea?

There are millions of icebox cookie recipes and the ingredients are all pretty much the same. White sugar, butter, flour...etc (I realize last week I was all about making shortbread cookies, which are actually very similar to icebox cookies except they use confectioners sugar - I will get to the shortbread, I promise!) I can't over emphasize the umm...simplicity of these cookies, but it's one of those beautifully simple things, you know? The way a nice sugar and butter cookies crumbles and melts in your mouth...BUT of course, simple was too boring for me, especially when I had a container filled with homemade candied ginger. I just HAD to incorporate it. I went with the Butterscotch Icebox Cookies by Pam Uribarri (her grandmother's recipe, I'll make anything by anyone's grandmother. That's the ultimate seal of approval). I halved the recipe since I don't have that many cookie-eaters around...also, instead of pecans, I folded in candied ginger at the very end....

1 cup un-salted butter

2 cups packed dark brown sugar

2 eggs

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans (I used around 1/4 cup candied ginger for my halved recipe in the place of the pecans)

Pre-heat 200C

1. Cut the butter into cubes and drop the creamy yellow goodness into a mixing bowl.
2. Cream the cubes of butter and then add in the sugar slowly. Cream together well - around 2 minutes.
3. Beat in the eggs.
4. Slowly mix in the sifted dry ingredients.
   After the salty lemon cookies, I was a changed woman, I now sift! It's annoying - I always make a mess.
   
   
5. Mix in the vanilla
   
6. When the dough is well mixed, fold in nuts (I used candied ginger)
7. Shape the dough into rolls. Wrap in wax paper and the freeze until firm - around half an hour.
8. Slice and place around an inch apart on cookie sheet.
9. Bake for around 12 minutes.