Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter, shortening, and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. With a knife halve vanilla beans lengthwise. Scrape seeds into butter mixture and beat in egg and vanilla extract until combined well. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into mixture and beat until just combined.
• On a large sheet of wax paper form dough into a 10- by 2-inch log and roll up in wax paper. Chill dough until firm, at least 4 hours. Dough keeps up to 3 days wrapped in wax paper and foil.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Put remaining 1/4 cup sugar on a platter. Remove wax paper and roll log in sugar (not all sugar will adhere to log). Cut log crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and dip cut sides of slices in sugar on platter. Arrange cookies 1/2 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets and bake in batches in middle of oven 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are pale golden. With a metal spatula transfer cookies to a rack to cool. Cookies may be made 2 days ahead (see note, above) and kept between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. In small bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
• In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, softened butter and seeds from 2 vanilla beans with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until fluffy; scrape side of bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until smooth. On low speed, beat flour mixture into sugar mixture until well blended. Cover and let dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes.
• Shape dough into 60 (1 1/4-inch) balls. In small bowl, place 1 cup powdered sugar. Roll each cookie in powdered sugar; shake off excess. Place on ungreased cookie sheets 2 inches apart.
• Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are until light brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, at least 15 minutes. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar. Store in airtight container at room temperature.