Except these are even better - soft and tender, loaded with vanilla flavor made with real simple ingredients.Įven though they are simple - these vanilla cookies are perfect for personalizing for special occasions and can be enjoyed all year round. They remind me of the colorful Lofthouse cookies I would beg my mom to buy at the grocery store when I was a kid. Unlike classic sugar cookies that require a rolling pin and cookie cutters, these soft and chewy vanilla cookies work best as simple round, frosted cookies. Remember that the cookies will continue to bake for a few minutes on the hot tray outside of the oven. Bake these cookies until the batter is matte and the edges are ever so slightly darkening. Do not over bake! These soft vanilla cookies are best blonde - not golden.

(These are great to use in place of parchment paper - especially if all of your cookie sheets are dark!) Silicone mats further insulate the heat retained from the baking tray and help to keep cookies soft. Lightly colored baking sheets will reflect more heat leaving lightly blonde cookie bottoms that are soft - not crunchy. This vanilla cookie dough is very soft and needs to be chilled completely to avoid spreading in the oven. Do not over mix the dough! Mix the cookie dough until the flour mixture is JUST incorporated.Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy! Don’t rush this step - properly creamed butter can take up to 8 - 10 minutes and should be voluminous and nearly white.A good quality vanilla extract should still provide great vanilla flavor in these cookies. Vanilla Extract - When all else fails, just go ahead and double the amount of vanilla extract in these cookies.I recommend using ½ Tablespoon of vanilla paste in place of half of a fresh vanilla bean. It's a very convenient product to have on hand and is a great substitute for fresh vanilla bean. Vanilla Bean Paste - Vanilla paste is similar to extract but is thicker and is swirled with real vanilla bean seeds! The flavor is more intense than a typical extract and will provide those beautiful vanilla bean specks throughout the cookie dough and frosting.For these cookies, I recommend using about ½ Tablespoon vanilla powder instead of half of a vanilla bean. It is less expensive than vanilla beans and has more intense vanilla flavor than extract. Sometimes, small amounts of sugar or anti-clumping agents are added, too. Vanilla Powder - Vanilla powder is made from dehydrated vanilla bean pods that have been ground into powder.Instead of fresh vanilla beans, you have a few options: However, I totally understand if you don't want to wait for a shipment of vanilla beans so that you can make this cookie recipe. Like I said, fresh vanilla beans are key to getting the best vanilla flavor in your baking recipes. (If you have any leftover that become dry, the beans can be split and soaked in alcohol to make your own vanilla extract. Even in Colorado's extremely dry climate, I have had success keeping my vanilla beans fresh for over a year at a time. Store the beans upright in a tall mason jar, lightly bound with a piece of twine. These beans should arrive darkly colored, wildly aromatic, have an oily residue on the pod and be soft and pliable. They will generally have several options for vanilla beans from around the world each with their own unique set of flavors and nuances.įor this recipe (and for most baking recipes), I recommend purchasing Grade A vanilla beans (the highest quality rating). Instead, choses to purchase from one of the several highly rated vanilla bean vendors online. Assuming you live in the United States, I recommend buying fresh vanilla beans online and having them delivered directly to your door! Purchasing vanilla beans in bulk is the best way to get a fair price on a high-quality product.įresh vanilla is sometimes sold in grocery stores but, in my experience, the beans are generally overpriced, shriveled and brittle.

Vanilla cookies