Aunt Katie’s Walnut BarsI remember Grandma Winter making these cookies; they were one of my favorite cookies in her collection at Christmas. Grandfather, would buy a 1 pound package of Black Diamond Walnuts in their shells and with my help, would crack them open with the hammer on the cement porch, reserving the little dish of nuts for Grandma to grind finely for this fabulous recipe. Grandma Winter would use a very old weathered nut grinder, I believe from the ‘old country’. She would grind these nuts and they would make a small pot of flour. The rest of the ingredients were piled in by hand, I don't actually recall measuring utensils.
I tried for decades remember this lost recipe. I had several failed batches of walnut bars, that never quite met my exact memory of how they really were. So I was grateful when my mother went visiting relatives in the Detroit area in the summer of 2000. Great detective that she is, she managed to snoop down the recipe as it was made by our Aunt Katie on the other side of the family tree . I must say it's exactly like Grandma Winter's. Enjoy! - Carolyn Winter
1 1/2 pounds finely grated walnuts, about six cups (a nut grinder works best) 2 cups icing sugar 1 whole egg rind from one lemon grated
Knead nuts, sugar, eggs, lemon rind until it forms at dough. Roll out into a large rectangle about 1 /4” thick. Place on a cookie sheet lightly greased or sprayed with PAM.
Topping2 egg whites 2 cups icing sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Beat egg whites with sugar and lemon juice until it forms soft peaks.
Spread on nut dough; dust cookie sheet with flour. Cut into strips. Bake at 200 degrees for one hour or until topping is dried.
With a sharp knife cut into bars 1 Inch wide x 3inches
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