Active Time

　　30 min

　　Total Time

　　25 1/2 hr

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

　　1 fresh (moist) vanilla bean, split lengthwise

　　3/4 cup confectioners sugar

　　1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1/2 teaspoon baking powder

　　1 stick (1/2 cup) plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

　　1 large egg yolk

　　

Special Equipment

a 2-inch cookie cutter (we used a fluted diamond-shaped one)

　　

Make vanilla sugar:

Step 1

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:

Step 2

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.

　　

Step 3

Preheat oven to 325°F.

　　

Step 4

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).

　　

Step 5

Bake cookies in batches in middle of oven until edges are pale golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

　　Cooks' notes:

　　• Dough can be chilled up to 2 days.

　　• Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper, in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.