Vanilla Cream Cookies

I haven't spent too much time making sweet things lately.  Just under two weeks ago, we had a furniture delivery, and it resulted in an organizational spree that is only now starting to wind down.  All of the closets are organized, my blog dishes are finally out of their boxes and tucked away in a cabinet, and our spice, oil, and vinegar collections are in perfect little rows grouped according to uses.  Now if only it would all stay that way...

In between projects, I was able to make 3 things:  2 variations of these cookies and cherry vanilla ice cream.  I'll share the ice cream with you later.  First, you need to try these cookies.  They've been on my list of things to make since last summer when I acquired the Christian Home Cook Book at the Centre Hall Community Wide Yard Sale for $1.  The cookbook is loaded with baking recipes and has an entire chapter on frosting alone; yes, please!  There were two cream cookie recipes, and I decided to adapt them to one that was straight-up vanilla.  It isn't often that I make something where vanilla takes center stage, and these cookies are perfect for it.  They're a cross between a cookie and cake and are not very fussy.  I found it hard to walk past the container I was storing them in without sneaking one, and now, as I'm writing this, I'm thinking I just might need to make another batch to snack on this week...

Notes:
If you don't have vanilla sugar, you can just use granulated sugar to sprinkle on top of the cookies.  These cookies always seem to taste better to me on the second day.  Since the dough for these cookies is so neutral, pretty much any flavor you can dream up should work:  ginger, cinnamon, anise, orange, etc.  I made them with orange blossom water but liked the vanilla ones better, so that is the recipe I'm sharing with you.  This recipe uses a divided technique to add the heavy whipping cream and flour, so don't dump all of it in at once.  When you drop the cookies, the consistency of the dough will be similar to a thick cake batter.

Adapted from the Christian Home Cook Book

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ cup heavy whipping cream
½ teaspoon vanilla sugar

Yields approximately 2 dozen cookies

Whisk, Cream, Beat, Scoop, Bake:
Adjust the oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven, and preheat to 350ºF.  Line two cookie sheets with Silpat mats or parchment paper.  In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.  In a separate bowl, cream the butter and the brown sugar together.  Add the egg, beat until it is incorporated, and then beat in the vanilla.  Scrape the beaters well, and add half (~¼ cup) of the heavy whipping cream to the mixture.  Beat until the cream is incorporated, and add half of the flour mixture.  Beat until the flour is fully incorporated, scrape the beaters and bowl, and then add the remaining heavy whipping cream (~¼ cup).  Lastly, add the remaining flour mixture, and beat until no more flour streaks remain.  Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop (or two spoons) to drop the dough onto the prepared pans, leaving 2-3 inches of space between each cookie.  Sprinkle the top of each cookie with a bit of the vanilla sugar.  Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes at 350ºF, until the bottoms are just beginning to brown and the cookies look set, rotating the sheets halfway through.  Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool, and store the cooled cookies in between layers of wax paper in an airtight container at room temperature.  Pin It