Flavors of Christmas: Vanilla

Today is our fifth and final Flavor of Christmas--vanilla!--but be sure to come back tomorrow to see the Grand Finale!

"Vanilla" is stitched on 30 ct. Irish Cream linen with Weeks Angel Hair. The measuring spoons charm is available at 123 Stitch and the heart cookie cutter is available at Shelly's Buttons and More.

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Vanilla Bean Angel Pillows

Poor ol' vanilla. In my opinion, vanilla gets a bad rap. It's synonymous with "boring," for some reason I can't fathom. I can only conclude that people who think vanilla is boring have never encountered vanilla in it's most divine form: The Bean. One day when you have some spare time, read about how vanilla is grown and processed. It doesn't get much more exotic. In addition to that, it's in practically every goody we bake. Vanilla deserves respect! Since I am a fan of all things vanilla bean, I went on a search for vanilla bean cookies. I came across this recipe, which I'll share as written, along with how I made these. (If you look closely you can see the tiny black dots that tell you you're about to eat something scrumptious.)

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 vanilla bean (I used 2 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste)
1 c. cold butter, cubed
1/4 c. vanilla sugar* (I sprinkled with regular sparkling sugar)

In a food processor combine flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Cover and process until combined (I just whisked these together).

Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds from pod. Discard pod. Add vanilla seeds to flour mixture; add butter. Cover and process with several on/off pulses until mixture starts to cling. Shape dough into a ball. (After I added the vanilla bean paste, I used a pastry cutter to cut the cold butter into the flour, as I would for scones. When the butter was well cut in, I used my hands to finish incorporating it and shaped the dough into a ball.) 

Shape dough into 1" balls and place 2" apart on an ungreased baking sheet. (If you've used your hands, you'll want to chill the dough for a bit before popping it into the oven.) Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes, or just until the edges start to brown. Transfer cookies to a rack and cool 5 minutes; roll warm cookies in vanilla sugar to coat and cool completely. Yield: about 2 dozen

*vanilla sugar: cut a vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Stir seeds and bean into 2 c. sugar. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 1-2 weeks.