Red Box Recipes - Great Aunt Bertha's Ice Box Cookies

  I just adored my Great Aunt Bertha!  Spent quite a bit of time with her, in her teeny tiny little house, when I was growing up.  She taught me how to make paper doilies, gave me "very grown up" Gardenia scented stationery for my 10th birthday, and introduced me to "Bozo the Clown" on TV!  (Is my age showing just a little here??)  What a sweet, fun, Christian lady she was!

Back in the 1930's, she wrote this recipe down on a little card.  That was in the days before refrigerators - when you had to keep food fresh in an "Ice Box" - that had a big block of ice in the top compartment to keep things cold (for a few days, anyway!)  Then the Ice Man had to replenish your supply - by horse-drawn wagon - old fashioned goodness!

Ice Box Cookies -

Ingredients ~

1/2 Cup shortening
1 Cup brown sugar - "roll out lumps"
1 egg
Cream together and add -

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/4 Cups flour - more if needed to make roll.
(Sifted together)

Chill overnight, slice, and bake in 350 degree oven.
(Doesn't say for how long - but these are done when the edges are lightly browned.  So you'll have to experiment!)

These were a favorite of mine as a child - and have a lightly sweet, old-fashioned flavor - Mmmmmm!!