Vanilla Bean Thins
- 1 fresh (moist) vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg yolk
- Special equipment: a 2-inch cookie cutter (we used a fluted diamond-shaped one)
- Scrape vanilla seeds from pod with tip of a knife into confectioners sugar.
- Halve pods crosswise and bury in sugar.
- Cover tightly and let stand at least 24 hours and up to 1 month.
- Discard pods and transfer vanilla sugar to a food processor.
- Add flour, salt, and baking powder and pulse to combine.
- Add butter and pulse just until mixture is in pea-size lumps.
- Add yolk and pulse just until a dough forms.
- Gather dough into 2 balls, then flatten into 2 (5-inch) disks and chill, each disk wrapped well in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Roll out 1 disk (keep the other chilled) to less than 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin.
- Cut out shapes with floured cookie cutter and chill scraps.
- Arrange cookies 1/2 inch apart on a buttered large baking sheet.
- Make more cookies with remaining dough, rerolling scraps (but only once).
- Bake cookies in batches in middle of oven until edges are pale golden, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Transfer to a rack to cool.
vanilla bean, confectioners sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, unsalted butter, egg yolk, cookie cutter
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/vanilla-bean-thins-107455 (may not work)