Recipe: Vanilla Cookies

I have no desire to bake while I am in France - why would I when there is a great bakery on every corner (sometimes there are two bakeries on every corner!)...however....

All those Vanilla Beans!

While we were in Grasse having lunch, we were offered a bundle (and I mean a bundle!) of vanilla beans for 20Euros ($25) - too good an offer to pass up especially since I could smell the vanilla without opening the packaging!  On the ride home thinking of what to make, I thought of cookies.  A stop at the supermarket before heading home to pick up just a few things...

This recipe will make about six dozen 2-inch cookies.
In one bowl:  3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
                     1 1/2 Tablespoons Baking Powder

In mixer bowl:  9oz softened/slightly melted butter
                       2 cups "sugar in the raw" (less sweet than white sugar)

Evening cup of tea & cookies

On the side:  3 Egg Yolks
                    2 Eggs
                    1 teaspoon lemon (or orange) extract
                    4 Vanilla Beans (ready to be cut and 'seeded')
                    1 cup almond flour
                    Almond, walnut or any nut for toppings (optional)
                    1/4 cup "sugar in the raw" for topping (optional)
                    Baking Sheet, Plastic Wrap

1.   Blend the flour and baking powder, set aside.
2.   MIXER: Mix sugar and butter until very well blended slightly fluffy
(I did not have a mixer here, so I used a whisk and really gave it a go!)
3.   Add the eggs slowly and mix well into the butter-sugar batter
4.   Add the lemon extract, mix well into the batter
5.   Scrape the "seeds" from the vanilla pods and blend into the batter
(place the de-seeded pods into your sugar bowl for a flavored treat!)
6.   Slowly, slowly add the flour/baking powder and the almond flour.
(A little almond flour, a little regular flour, etc etc etc)
7.   When the flours are fully incorporated into the batter, set aside.
8.   Cut three large pieces of plastic wrap; place equal amounts of batter onto each
9.   Wrap the very soft batter loosely and gently pat down to make a flattened package.
10. Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
11. When ready to start baking, preheat oven to 350 degrees
12. Unwrap the firm dough and lightly flour both sides and the rolling pin
13. Gently roll the dough down to a 1/4" thickness and begin cutting out the cookies
14. Use all the dough, as you get scraps, roll them into a ball, flatten out and cut more cookies
15. Place a nut atop each cookie and sprinkle with the tiniest bit of sugar (Optional)
16. Place on baking sheet and bake, middle rack, 14-15 minutes
Made too many cookies?  Freeze them! Share them!  Give a gift of freshly baked cookies!

Enjoy!
"Fifi"