Soft & Chewy Vanilla Cookies

by Abigail Johnson Dodge

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These thin, delicate rounds have a heady vanilla perfume—perfect with hot or iced tea or as a snack at any time of the day. The cookies can be eaten as is (my favorite way) or sandwiched with a bit of your favorite fruit preserves.Yields about 2-1/2 dozen cookies.

vanilla beans all-purpose flour granulated sugar more more

6-3/4 oz. (1-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean, or 1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Tip: It's important not to forget the salt in vanilla recipes. Without it, the vanilla flavor will be flat and boring.

Position the oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder until well blended. In another medium bowl, beat the butter on medium-high speed with an electric mixer (a hand-held works well) until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla bean seeds or extract and continue beating until well combined, about 2 min. Add the eggs and beat until well blended, about 1 min. longer. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just blended, about 30 seconds.

Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop or two tablespoons, arrange heaping tablespoonfuls of the dough in mounds about 3 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake two sheets at a time, swapping the sheets’ positions half way through baking, until the edges are golden brown, 10 to 14 min.

Set the sheets on racks and let cool for 5 min. before transferring the cookies to the racks to cool completely. Using cooled cookie sheets, bake the remaining cookie dough.

Make Ahead Tips

Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, or freeze for up to a month.

nutrition information (per serving):
Size: per cookie; Calories (kcal): 100; Fat (kcal): 5; Fat Calories (g): 45; Saturated Fat (g): 3; Protein (g): 1; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 1; Carbohydrates (g): 13; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 0; Sodium (mg): 50; Cholesterol (mg): 25; Fiber (g): 0;

photo: Scott Phillips

From Fine Cooking 71, pp. 67

May 1, 2005