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Vanilla Bean Refrigerator Cookies

Source of Recipe

From "Williams-Sonoma: Cooking at Home"


Recipe Introduction

"The vanilla is wonderfully aromatic in this recipe, with vanilla-scented sugar both mixed into the batter and sprinkled on the cookies just before they go into the oven. For miniature versions of the cookies, form logs 1 inch in diameter."

List of Ingredients

◦  1¾ cups sifted all-purpose flour
◦  1½ tsp baking powder
◦  ⅛ tsp salt
◦  ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
◦  About 1⅓ cups Vanilla Sugar (see recipe)
◦  1 egg


Recipe

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add 1 cup of the Vanilla Sugar and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Add the egg and beat until light and fluffy. On low speed, add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated.

Form the dough into a rough log, positioning near the center of a sheet of waxed paper. Fold one side of the paper over the dough and press to shape it into an even log about 10 inches long. Wrap tightly in the waxed paper and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Butter two baking sheets.

Unwrap the dough and transfer to a cutting board. Carefully cut into slices ¼ inch thick. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with the remaining Vanilla Sugar.

Bake the cookies until the edges are browned, about 12 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.


Makes about 42 cookies


Vanilla Sugar:

This quick preparation will keep for months. You can sprinkle it over sugar cookies just before you slip them into the oven for baking. It's also good stirred into cups of fresh-brewed coffee or sprinkled over a bowl of fresh fruit.

â—¦ 1½ vanilla beans
â—¦ 2 cups sugar

Cut the vanilla beans into 1½-inch lengths. Place in a blender or food processor and process until coarsely chopped.

Add ½ cup of the sugar and process until the vanilla beans are finely chopped. Add the remaining 1½ cups sugar and process until thoroughly incorporated.

Sift the sugar through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any large pieces of vanilla bean, then store the sugar in an airtight container at room temperature.


Makes 2 cups