Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

Our Third recipe from the Cassalingo and The Foodies’ Kitchen is one from the Martha Stewart kitchens: Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies. We made a tiny variation, instead of adding Vanilla Extract we added Vanilla Beans. The cookies take a new level of yumminess with the vanilla beans. This recipe makes enough for 50 medium sized star cookies.

Kitty

Basic Vanilla Cookies

Recipe By Martha Stewart
Yield:About 50 medium sized cookies

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla beans

Directions:

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Beat butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy.
Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low.
Add flour mixture, and beat until combined.
6. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350º and line up baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll out dough on floured surface to 1/2 an inch thick, at least. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter.
Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing each 1 inch apart.
Bake at 350 degrees until firm, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool completely.

Almond Cookies

The second recipe we’re sharing from our Cassalingo and The Foodies’ Kitchen baking extravaganza are these Almond Cookies. I made this recipe without the color sugar – honestly it doesn’t need it! The cookies come out of the oven really soft, and as they cool off they start to harden and get their crisp. I might try a new version of this recipe making it 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of almond flour, they sure can be more almond flavored.

Kitty

Almond Cookies

Recipe adapted from Better Homes & Gardens
Yield: 54 servings

Ingredients:

8 ounces butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely ground almonds or almond meal

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg yolks until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour and the almonds.
Divide dough in half. Shape each portion of dough into an 8-inch-long roll. Wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper and chill about 3 hours or until firm enough to slice.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Cut rolls into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place slices 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven about 12 minutes or until edges start to brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.

Honey Spritz Cookies

I really wasn’t planning on baking spritz cookies this year. I’ve made them several times already, and they aren’t exactly the most flavorful cookie around. A big plus for spritz cookies is that you get a ton of them from one recipe, which is handy if you’ve got plenty of cookie eaters around, and they are pretty which makes them a good choice for gift baskets.

I got Food Network’s December issue last month, and found this recipe. Honey Spritz Cookies sounded good to me, they were definitely going to taste better than the regular kind, I thought. I was right. The added honey makes them bake to a deeper caramel color than you would get from the regular kind, and you do taste and smell the honey in there. These would probably taste even better if you drizzle melted semi-sweet chocolate on top… if you have the time. I opted for a sprinkling of sugar and cinnamon.

Helga

Honey Spritz Cookies

Yield: About 60-70 cookies
Recipe from Food Network

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coarse sugar and/or nonpareils, for decorating (optional)

Procedure:

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Add the egg, honey and vanilla and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated (the dough will be soft).
Fill a cookie press with the dough according to the manufacturer’s instructions; press out the cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart onto 2 ungreased baking sheets.
Decorate the cookies with coarse sugar and/or nonpareils. Bake, switching the position of the pans halfway through, until the cookies are just golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.