Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies
Soft and buttery cookie staples! Super quick to make, these easy vanilla bean shortbread cookies are so delicious and made with real vanilla beans for the essential vanilla flavor. These vanilla bean cookies are a perfect addition to any holiday cookie box and great to accompany coffee or tea.
What Makes Shortbread So Good?
Such a classic cookie and a star in many Christmas cookie boxes, but what makes shortbread cookies so good? Well, with so few ingredients, it’s gotta be all that butter, and the real vanilla bean seeds don’t hurt either. The mixing method of creaming the butter with the flour and sugars makes the butter pieces long and flaky giving the cookies amazingly soft texture.
The Origin Of Shortbread Cookies
Shortbread cookies came from Scotland starting in the 12th century but refined by Mary Queen of Scots in the 16th century. She was particularly associated with the triangle wedge shape which became known as “petticoat tails. However, it wasn’t until 1736 with the first printed recipe by Mrs McLintock. Shortbread cookies were expensive and considered a luxury, and therefore reserved for Christmas, Scottish New Year, and weddings. Read more about the history os shortbread cookies here!
Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies Ingredients
- Vanilla Beans: I buy my vanilla beans in bulk online since they are OVERLY EXPENSIVE in stores. I will keep a few of them at a time in a little bit of water to plump them up and make them easier to split and remove the beans.
- Coarse Sugar: Any kind of sugar that is coarser than granulated sugar will do. Can be found in grocery stores, online, or at craft stores. You can experiment with different colors for themed events.
Major Allergens Present: Gluten and dairy
Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies Equipment
- Hand or Stand Mixer: Used to make the cookie dough with. You will use the paddle for a stand mixer and beaters for a hand mixer.
- Pastry brush: Used to brush heavy cream on top for garnish before baking. Not needed but it does give the cookies a sheen and help adhere the coarse sugar on top.
How to Make Vanilla Shortbread Cookies:
What Are Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies Made Out Of?
This easy vanilla bean shortbread cookie recipe is made with few ingredients and mostly the basics like sugar, flour, and butter. The star ingredient however is the vanilla bean seeds! I also like to add vanilla extract to strengthen the vanilla vanilla flavors even further. You’ll also notice there are no eggs making this recipe naturally egg free.
Make the Cookie Dough:
A simple mixing method of combining all weighed out ingredients (not including the garnish of heavy cream and coarse sugar) except the extract and creaming together. I don’t add in the extract because that small amount of liquid will mess up the mixing and thus the dough. The trick to this is to know when to stop creaming. I mix until the butter crumbles are super fine, the dough sandy and it forms together when clumped in your hand. At this point you add in your extract and stop mixing just before it forms a cohesive dough and you have larger crumbles of formed dough.
Roll, Cut, and Bake the Easy Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies:
Dump out the dough crumbles onto a working surface and hand knead/shape together. Flour your working surface and dough and roll out to half an inch thick. At this point you can cut any shape you want. I prefer the 1″ x 2″ rectangle. I would avoid using a pizza roller as that can ruin the corners, so cut with a knife up and down. Once they’re all cut and placed on a parchment lined sheet pan, place in the freezer for 30-60 minutes for the butter to firm up. This will prevent too much spreading. Brush the tops with heavy cream for some sheen and coarse sugar and bake until the edges start to turn brown.
Don’t forget to enjoy these vanilla shortbread cookies with a cup of coffee or tea!
Enhancing This Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookie Recipe:
- Add in some warm baking spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger for cozy fall vibes.
- Use lemon or orange zest and the matching extract for some citrus vibes.
How to Store and Freeze Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies:
- Store raw or baked cookie dough wrapped in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Store the baked cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Troubleshooting Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies:
- My shortbread cookies spread! You either did not freeze the dough before baking or you did not mix enough. Make sure to freeze (perhaps for longer next time) before baking. When mixing make sure to mix long enough so it clumps together when grasped then add in the extract.
Something else going wrong? Reach out and we will troubleshoot together!
Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- Hand or stand mixer
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
- 340 g All purpose flour
- 78 g Granulated sugar
- 78 g Powdered sugar
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- 2 ¼ sticks Unsalted butter cubed and cold
- 1 ea Vanilla bean Seeds scraped out
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 Tbs Heavy cream for garnish
- 2 Tbs Coarse sugar for garnish
Instructions
- Combine together in your mixer bowl the flour, sugars, vanilla bean seeds, vanilla extract, and the cold, cubed butter.
- With your stand mixer and paddle or hand mixer and beaters mix everything together except the vanilla extract on medium low speed until a dough almost comes together and still is mostly crumbles.
- Add in the vanilla extract and mix for additional minute or two.
- Pour the crumbles onto a work surface and knead into a dough. Flour your work surface and the dough.
- Roll until a half inch thick and cut into 1"x 2" rectangles. Place on a parchment lined sheet pan and freeze for 30-60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325℉.
- Brush the tops with heavy cream and sprinkle the coarse sugar on top.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes rotating half way through or until the edges start to turn brown.
Nutrition
These were so soft and easy to make! Perfect for those who LOVE vanilla like my bf.