Vanilla Thins Recipes

SUGAR-DUSTED VANILLA SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Tip the flour into a food processor. Cut the butter into small pieces and drop them into the bowl, then whizz until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, vanilla and egg yolks and whizz to a smooth dough.
• With your hands, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a sausage shape about 25cm/9in long and 5cm/2½in in diameter. Wrap the roll and chill for at least 1 hour. (The roll can be frozen for up to 6 weeks. To use, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for one hour at room temperature so that the dough is soft enough to be sliced into biscuits.)
• Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C and lightly grease 2 large baking sheets. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into slices, each a generous 5mm/¼in thick, then arrange them on the greased baking sheets, spacing the biscuits slightly apart so they have a bit of room to spread as they cook.
• Bake for 20 minutes until the biscuits are just turning pale golden around the edges, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Dust generously with icing sugar. The biscuits will keep fresh for up to one week stored in an airtight tin.

DELICATE MINT THINS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in mint. Shape into two 8-in. rolls; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm., Unwrap and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-12 minutes or until edges are golden. Remove to wire racks to cool. , In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip each cookie halfway; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set.

SHEET-PAN BROWNIE THINS

Steps:

• Position a rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Very generously butter an 18x13" rimmed baking sheet (do not line with parchment).
• Melt remaining 1/2 cup butter in a small heatproof bowl in the microwave or set over a pot of barely simmering water. Mix sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl. Pour butter over and stir until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula after each addition, until batter is thick, shiny, and smooth. Stir in flour until well incorporated, then beat vigorously for 30-40 strokes. Stir in nuts or chocolate chips.
• Using a spatula, spread batter into a thin, even layer to edges and into corners of prepared sheet (batter will seem scant but brownies will rise to about 1/4" thick).
• Bake brownies until firm to the touch and a tester inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs (not runny batter) attached, 15-18 minutes.
• Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into 36 pieces and serve.
• Do Ahead
• Brownies can be made 5 days ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, or freeze up to 6 months.

VANILLA BEAN THINS

Steps:

• Make vanilla sugar:
• Scrape vanilla seeds from pod with tip of a knife into confectioners sugar. Halve pods crosswise and bury in sugar. Cover tightly and let stand at least 24 hours and up to 1 month.
• Make cookies:
• Discard pods and transfer vanilla sugar to a food processor. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse just until mixture is in pea-size lumps. Add yolk and pulse just until a dough forms. Gather dough into 2 balls, then flatten into 2 (5-inch) disks and chill, each disk wrapped well in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Roll out 1 disk (keep the other chilled) to less than 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Cut out shapes with floured cookie cutter and chill scraps. Arrange cookies 1/2 inch apart on a buttered large baking sheet. Make more cookies with remaining dough, rerolling scraps (but only once).
• Bake cookies in batches in middle of oven until edges are pale golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

VANILLA THINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Beat butter, sugar, and salt with an electric mixer at moderately high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and mix at low speed until just combined. Add flour and mix until just combined.
• Drop level teaspoons of batter about 3 inches apart on buttered baking sheets. Bake cookies in batches in middle of oven until just golden around edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on a rack 1 minute, then transfer with a metal spatula to rack to cool completely.

ALMOND THINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Sift together the flour and salt and slowly stir into butter mixture until just blended.
• Divide batter in half and place each half on in the center of two ungreased, flat-sided cookie sheets. Dip a spatula in warm water and spread batter to cover the entire baking sheet, making sure batter is spread evenly. Sprinkle almonds and press gently into dough.
• Bake each sheet about 12 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Cut hot cookies into 2-inch squares. Return to oven and bake until lightly golden... about 5 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent over baking.
• Remove from oven to a wire rack. Slide spatula under cookies to loosen. Cool completely on cookie sheets. Store in airtight containers with waxed paper between layers.