Ingredients for Manion’s Vanilla Sugar Cookies
1 stick (1/2 cup) soft butter
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons Manion’s Vanilla Extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, preferably Manion’s Vanilla Bean Salt.
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, loosely scooped and leveled.
1/4 cup Manion’s Vanilla Sugar for pre-bake rolling finishing
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 3 baking sheets with Reynolds parchment sheets.
- In large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In medium bowl whisk vegetable oil and egg.
- In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter, granulated sugar and powdered sugar until smooth. Add Manion’s Vanilla and beat on high speed about 3 minutes until light, fluffy and achieving pale yellow hue..
- Reduce mixer speed to lowest setting and blend in the egg and oil mixture until smooth. Add dry ingredients slowly and stir until smooth, soft dough.
- Poor Manion’s Vanilla Sugar into a shallow dish. Roll dough in balls that are 2 tablespoons each and then roll them in the sugar and place on prepared cookie sheets. I can fit 12 cookies per sheet.
- Dip a flat-bottom glass into the sugar and press into each cookie to gently flatten into a disc size, resumer bottom of glass as needed.
- Bake for about 12 minutes. Every oven is different, so watch it carefully. Rotate cookie sheets during baking if your oven has hot spots. You want to bake these cookies until a pale golden color, and only slightly brown at the edges.
- Let cookies cool on sheet for a few minutes so they set up, before moving them to cutting board.
- Turn out onto your prettiest cookie plate or fill up the cookie jar once completely cool.
Remarks: You can certainly make these cookies with any granulated sugar, but the tiny vanilla bean flecks in Manion’ Vanilla Bean Sugar make the taste and presentation of these cookies extra special. I decided to make my own vanilla bean sugar because I was disappointed with what the market offered. If you look for a true vanilla bean sugar, it is hard to find. Mostly you’ll see Demerara style sugars that say they are vanilla in flavor. But these carry a molasses flavor and are too crystalized and heavy to be able to use in the ways I feature in this recipe.
