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Do you ever get something in your head and you just can't get it out till you've got it figured out?
This may be what compelled Columbus to cross the ocean blue ....... or what drove old Thomas Edison to keep tinkering until his wires finally crossed correctly ........ perhaps even Einstein burned the midnight oil for many moons determined to perfect his formula - E=mc².
Me? Not such grandiose endeavors. No, instead I'm confounded by crazy culinary conundrums! For example, last week it was crinkly, crackly sugar cookies. I get an idea like this in my head and it just carries me away until I get it "right". I try this and I try that, keeping a few ideas from this attempt and throwing out a bunch from that endeavor. These are the times my husband refers to me as "the crazy chemist in the kitchen".
I've always been drawn to cookies with soft chewy insides and crisp, crackly exteriors, you know the kind I mean; with such deep crevices they resemble mini replicas of the Grand Canyon! I have a delicious sugar cookies recipe in my collection, but these cookies always emerged from the oven smooth, pale and not what I had in mind this time. I checked out Mr. Google and came across this recipe - exactly what I was looking for! I added a fun twist* of my own and, I must say, the results are wonderful!
*I've been on a bit of a "vanilla bean" kick lately and decided to try an experiment. Vanilla beans are very expensive and I don't often make this "splurge". I was gifted with a small supply of these treasures about a year ago and have been hoarding them for a special occasion. I decided that figuring out these Crispy, Crackly Sugar Cookies was worth celebrating, so I broke out the treasure trove! Instead of the usual technique of splitting the bean and scraping out the tiny seeds, I cut up a whole vanilla bean and threw it in my food processor along with a quarter cup of sugar. I let the processor whirr for 4-5 five minutes until the bean had disintegrated and become part of the sugar. I used this "vanilla sugar" in the cookies - resulting in quite phenomenal vanilla flavor!
Crinkly, Crackly Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
1 vanilla bean, cut into about 6 small pieces
½ cup granulated sugar
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 large egg yolks
¼ teaspoon fine salt
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ cup granulated sugar, for rolling (no, no, don't you roll in the sugar - it's for the cookies! 🙂
Directions:
1. Place cut up vanilla bean and the ½ cup sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Start by pulsing on and off about 10 times, then let machine run for several minutes until beans are in tiny flecks and incorporated into the sugar.
2. Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Line several sheet pans with parchment paper.
3. Combine butter, vanilla bean sugar and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl sides and bottom. Add yolks and salt and mix on medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds.
4. Add flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Mix on low speed until dough comes together.
5. Scoop dough by rounded tablespoons and roll between your hands until smooth. Roll dough in granulated sugar to coat and place on parchment-paper-lined baking sheets. Bake cookies until they are golden brown, about 15 to 16 minutes. Immediately transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Adapted from Chow
Kelly Mulcair Registered Nutritionist. Content © 2011 Trinity Nutrition. says
You've got your cracks and crinkles down to an art 🙂 - delicious looking cookies Chris and I especially love the luminous photo of the neighbours enjoying them!
The Café Sucré Farine says
Thanks and you're right, Ginny - about the food processor and the chocolate cookies! I do think in unconventional ways at time, just part of how God made me 🙂 It's so fun to me that He made each of us so unique, no cookie cutters for Him! And I did see a zillion yummy looking chocolate crinkle cookies but I definitely had vanilla on the brain!
Ginny says
These look just divine, and I bet they smelled so good! So many times I have wished that I was your neighbor! You are so inventive, I would never have thought of the food processor trick! So you think out of the box, or out of the processor, as it may be. It does seem easy to find recipes like this for crinkly chocolate cookies, but much harder for the vanilla ones.
lena says
beautiful crinkles!! i like how you cut the vanilla bean and process it in the food processor, it's a fabulous idea to get vanilla sugar!what a joy to look at those kids eating these cookies! have a great day!
Lacy @ NYCityEats says
I love your vanilla sugar! I've always wanted to try to make my own vanilla sugar because I imagine it would be delicious on and in every dessert! 🙂 These cookies look and sound incredible. I'm always out for the best sugar cookie recipe and I think we have a winner!! Yum!
Vicki Bensinger says
Your sugar cookies sound delightful especially with the added vanilla bean added to it. Plus the photo looks so yummy and obviously is from the smiles on your neighbors faces.
The Café Sucré Farine says
Wouldn't be such a bad thing now that you got me thinking about it!
Susan says
I have knitting problems in my head for days until I figure it out. ha
These cookies are so beautiful with their miniature Grand Canyons. Smart neighbors...the window was cracked and they smelled them, didn't they? This would definitely be a cookie I would love!!!! I might even roll myself in the sugar after such a success. Think about it!!!! Susan
The Mom Chef says
You must be reading my mind. I've been starring down a sugar cooking in Cook's Illustrated all month, knowing I'm going to make them, just wondering when. That recipe doesn't have vanilla beans in it though. Your version sounds (and looks) amazing.
Sandra says
Yet another reason why I'd like to be your neighbor. I love the vanilla sugar and can think of tons of ways to use it. Yummy!
Sandra says
Yet another reason why I'd like to be your neighbor. I love the vanilla sugar and can think of tons of ways to use it. Yummy!
The Café Sucré Farine says
Oh, Deborah thanks! When I changed the recipe to use the vanilla bean, I inadvertently left in that vanilla extract direction! You could add it, but you don't need to - thanks again for noticing this!
Kim says
I really like crackly cookies like your because they tend to be chewy and crispy in the same bite. It is so great and these, with vanilly bean, are surely a great treat!
Epicurea says
nothing beats real vanilla... hmmm!!
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers says
I love the cookies! I am such a vanilla freak, it's one of my favorite smells and tastes. I don't know what it is with vanilla, but it's wonderful!
I made your Seeded Oat Bread yesterday and put it on my blog today. The bread is so good! It's my favorite bread! I made 5 loaves of it!!
Happier Than a Pig in Mud says
The cookies look great, I'm sure the vanilla bean took them over the top! Enjoy:@)
Deborah aka Mimi says
I LOVE your blog, and I've enjoyed every recipe I've tried. These cookies sound amazing, but did I miss something? #3 direction says to "add yolks, vanilla and salt" but I don't see any additional vanilla amount. Should there be even more of this marvelous ingredient, so is the powdered vanilla sugar sufficient?
Deborah aka Mimi says
I LOVE your blog, and I've enjoyed every recipe I've tried. These cookies sound amazing, but did I miss something? #3 direction says to "add yolks, vanilla and salt" but I don't see any additional vanilla amount. Should there be even more of this marvelous ingredient, so is the powdered vanilla sugar sufficient?
overtimecook.com says
These cookies look absolutely delicious- I'm bookmarking this. I also love the faces on the kids. Nothing like a super-honest child approving your cookies to confirm their delicious. 🙂
The Café Sucré Farine says
Yes, it's really crazy how our brains work, isn't it?
bellini says
These do sound like a keeper!!!
Gerry @Foodness Gracious says
Susan is right, the beans are so $$$ but I thought even a food processor wouldn't be able to chop them down,
Great cookies!
Hovkonditorn says
Beautiful cookies. I like cookies with chewy insides and crispy exteriors! Have a great day!
Susan says
Wow, Chris! I love the idea of using the vanilla bean - since they're so expensive, I hate feeling like I'm wasting them. I adore vanilla, so will have to try these soon!
mia xara says
Very tempting sugar cookies!They must taste exquisite with the addition of a whole vanilla bean!XO