English Toffee Sticks

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter (no substitutes)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, separated
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

Cream butter and sugar; add egg yolk. Mix in flour, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Spread in a 15 x 10-inch shallow pan. Cover with the unbeaten egg white, smoothing over with hand to glaze entire surface. Pour off excess egg white. Press nuts gently into dough with hand. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes, placing a pan of hot water underneath the cookies for the first 15 minutes. Cut into sticks while hot, but leave in pan until cold.