Fresh Vanilla Bean Angel Sugar Cookies

2 large eggs
1 cup canola oil
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract OR 1 fresh vanilla bean pod
4 cups plus 2 tbsps. all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar

I'm opting to use a fresh vanilla bean.  I've never used one before, I had to go online to make sure I was cutting it right.

I bought these at Wegmans, they weren't cheap but well worth it if you're making something very special.  In my case, it was the weekend and I was in the mood for something sweet and crunchy.  Thanks to Pioneer Woman, she saved the day......again!! ;)

This is a vanilla bean.

Cut it in half.

Take one half of the bean.  Split open the bean, left to right.  Don't let the knife blade cut all the way through.

Take a teaspoon and scrape out the cavity of the bean.  The insides are exactly what you want.

These are the insides.

No, that's not a fly!  Anyway, onto making the dough.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together the eggs, oil, butter, granulated sugar, powdered sugar and the vanilla.

Then add the rest of the ingredients.

See those specks?  No, it's not pepper, it's the vanilla :)  I'm so excited!!  Now, refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.

Just before the hour is over, heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Using an ice cream scoop or spoon, drop the balls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. (I completely forgot to take pictures of this step ~ most likely because my fingers were constantly full with dough and so sticky that I just completely forgot - oh well).  Sprinkle, a little bit of sugar over each dough (I also forgot to sprinkle the sugar).

Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes until the cookies are just barely turning brown around the edges.  Allow to cool before eating.  Enjoy!!

I was in the mood for something sweet and crunchy today.  I looked through two cookbooks and two magazines and as soon as I saw Pioneer Womans', Angel Sugar Cookies, I knew immediately that's what I wanted to bake.  The only thing I did different with her recipe was I used a fresh vanilla bean instead of pure vanilla extract. I had bought the vanilla beans a few weeks ago on my trip up to N. VA and I was getting anxious to find any reason to use them.   These cookies are perfect by themselves or add them to some ice cream, or eat with some fresh strawberries or strawberry jam.  I'm wondering if they would be good with homemade Vanilla Pudding Pie. I just may save enough to try that last suggestion.  Anyways,  I'm in love, these cookies, they hit the spot.  This recipe makes a big batch so make sure you either have a large family OR freeze them.  They are very delicate though and as PW said, they don't travel well because they're fragile and crumbly BUT they do melt in your mouth :)

I'm linking this recipe to:

Easter Cookies

Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookie Recipe

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 c sugar
2 sticks (salted) butter, cold
1 egg
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. 

With the paddle attachment,  cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom.  Continue to mix until the all the ingredients are completely incorporated.

Roll onto a floured surface and cut into shapes. Place on a lined baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

ICING RECIPE

Icing

1 cup confectioners sugar

3 tsps. Milk

2 tsps. Light corn syrup

1/2 tsp. almond extract

In a small bowl, stir together confectioners sugar and milk until smooth.  Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy (may take a little bit of muscle work but believe me, it will become smooth).  If icing is too thick add a another teaspoon of milk.

With an offset spatula, spread the icing - it's a little tricky at first because it's so thick but once you keep working with it you'll start to get the hang of it.  You can dip the cookie into the icing too but I personally don't like that method - it uses too much icing and it's messier.  

Let the iced cookies dry for a couple of hours in a cool, dry room.  You can also let them dry overnight. 

  The cookies are ready when you gently push down on the icing and you don't leave an indention.  Once the icing on the cookies have dried, you can start painting them with food coloring. (I bought my food coloring at Michaels craft store in the Wilton Cake section - they have lots of choices and a good variety).  

Decorating these cookie eggs was fun, I felt like I was decorating real Easter eggs.  Paint any kind of design, anything goes, and paint 'til your hearts content!

Let the paint on the cookies dry for a couple of hours or overnight.  Do not cover as the paint needs air to dry.

Cute bunny!

Happy Easter!!  He has risen......He has risen indeed!!

I'm a big fan of this cookie recipe, this is about the 4th time I've made this cookie recipe as well as the icing.  I will keep making them until I'm sick of them which I hope is never.  ~isavortheweekend

Bunny Cookies

Click here for Cookie Recipe


I baked these cookies for a special friend of mine who is having her "Art Show" soon and needed some refreshment donations.  I volunteered to make her some cookies and since it's Spring time, I decided to make these bunnies.

This is the cookie cutter I used.  I believe I bought it Walmart or Target.  These are the cookies after I baked them a couple of days ago.  They can't be stacked like this when they're fresh out of the oven, otherwise they'll crack.  Allow them to dry for at least 24-48 hours.  That's why it takes a couple of days to make these cookies - beginning to end.

Icing recipe

I opted to use my offset spatula to ice the cookies as oppose to dipping them into the icing.  I wanted to try this method just to see if it worked better for me or not.  It's a little less messy than the other way and I like that I can control the amount of icing on the cookie to spread around fairly easy.

Once I iced the cookies, I laid them on a cooling rack to dry out.  It took at least 24 hours to dry.  The following night I would start painting them.

I used the same pink fairy dust that I used on my Valentine Cookies to paint the ears using a flat tip brush.  I got the idea to paint these bunnies like this from another favorite food blogger, "La Table De Nana", she's soooo artistic.

Used black food coloring to paint the eyelids and lashes with a short, narrow brush tip.

I used a long, narrow tip brush and green food coloring for the grass and then used the short, narrow tip brush and black food coloring to paints swirls for the bunny tail.

I spread them out on cookies sheets to dry.....again......overnight

These bunnies seem to be multiplying!!

Ralph

The triplets

and the whole motley crew, packed and ready to go.

Happy Spring!!!

~isavortheweekend


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