Strawberry Vanilla Bean Cookies

• 1 cup strawberry preserves
• 3/4 cup Land O Lakes Butter, softened
• 1 vanilla bean, scrape seeds from inside bean*
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Coarse grain decorator sugar, if desired

1. Place strawberry preserves into food processor bowl fitted with metal blade.
2. Cover; pulse until smooth and pureed.
3. Set 1/3 cup aside.
4. Combine butter and vanilla bean seeds in bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy.
5. Add powdered sugar; beat until combined.
6. Add reserved 1/3 cup preserves; beat until well mixed.
7. Add flour and salt; beat at low speed until combined.
8. Divide dough in half.
9. Shape each half into ball; flatten slightly.
10. Wrap each in plastic food wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.
11. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
12. Roll out dough, one ball at a time (keeping remaining dough refrigerated) on lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness.
13. Cut with 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter.
14. Cut out center from half of cookies using smaller decorative cookie cutter.
15. Place cookies, 1 inch apart, onto prepared cookie sheets.
16. Sprinkle cookies with center cut-out with decorator sugar, if desired.
17. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
18. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to cooling rack.
19. Cool completely.
20. Spread remaining preserves onto bottom-side of cookies without cut-out; top each with cookie with center cut-out, bottom-side down.
21. *Substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla.

strawberry preserves, butter, vanilla bean, powdered sugar, flour, salt, grain decorator sugar

Taken from www.landolakes.com/recipe/4291/strawberry-vanilla-bean-cookies (may not work)