xmas cookies test batch

I’ve been thinking about what I want to put into my xmas cookie boxes this year.  Certain cookies are standards – the gingersnaps, the cocoa nib shortbread – but everything else is up in the air.  I’m definitely going to swap out the world peace cookies (the chocolate chocolate chip shortbread) for the Alice Medrich chocolate wafers, and perhaps I’ll dip them in chocolate if I can get the hang of tempering chocolate.  A lemon shortbread cookie might be nice, and perhaps brownies of some kind.  Typically I don’t make anything soft, because the shortbreads stay good for so much longer.  The maple spiced pecans went over pretty well, I think, but they’re expensive and somewhat hard to make, so I’ll probably look for a better recipe this year.  Chocolate-covered graham crackers or potato chips might be fun, too.

The following recipe probably won’t make it into the boxes this year – they’re a vanilla shortbread cookie.  I’m looking for a recipe where I can roll the cookies out and use my plethora of cookie cutters, and this fit the bill.  Unfortunately, I’m coming to the conclusion that I just don’t like vanilla all that much (I already omit it in basically anything that calls for it, unless it’s a vanilla ice cream).  This recipe uses the whole bean, a thrift of ingredient that is quite satisfying, and they’re nice and crisp (the first batch that you roll out will be the most tender; the re-rolled scraps will get successively less tender).  These would stand up well to being mailed to someone, although you have to wrap them well as they are quite buttery.  They do spread even if you freeze them a bit before baking, so I would recommend using cookie cutters without too much definition in the pointy way (ie, stars).

Whole bean vanilla shortbread cookies
(adapted from 101 cookbooks)

1/2c powdered sugar

3T sugar

1 vanilla bean, ends trimmed if tough

1/2t salt

8T butter

1c flour

1. Cut the vanilla bean into pieces with kitchen shears or a knife, and pulse with the sugars in a food processor until the bean is almost completely pulverized (in my experience, there isn’t enough sugar to get the bean to be ground up completely).  Add the butter and pulse until the butter is creamy and light (past just combined – you’ll be able to tell by how easily the butter mixture moves around the bowl; when it’s right the butter won’t move too much because it’s nice and light).  Add the flour and pulse until the dough comes together in a ball.

2. Scrape the dough out onto a large sheet of plastic wrap.  Flatten into a disk and wrap securely; chill the dough for at least an hour – longer will allow the vanilla to better permeate the dough.

3. When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat your oven to 350F.  Roll the dough to about a quarter inch thickness (or slightly less) and go to town with your cookie cutters.  Place on your cookie sheets 1″ apart, and bake about 15 minutes, until golden brown.  Repeat with remaining dough until it’s all used up, gathering up scraps and re-rolling them.  Let the cookies cool, then store in an airtight container.

[makes 40-50 small cookies]