She’s the Goose
From the Oven · Every Season
Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
Real vanilla bean in both the dough and the glaze, tops left pale on purpose, and a make-ahead plan that holds for a party.
Pale on top, soft in the middle, finished with a thin vanilla glaze.
Ingredients
The dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste
- ¼ tsp pure almond extract
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
The glaze
- 1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2–3 Tbsp whole milk or heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
- Small pinch fine sea salt
Method
- 01
Beat the softened butter and sugar until pale, creamy, and slightly fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- 02
Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla bean paste, and almond extract until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
- 03
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt separately; mix into the butter on low speed until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
- 04
Cover and refrigerate the dough 45 minutes.
- 05
Scoop into roughly 1½-tablespoon portions, roll into smooth balls, and flatten each very slightly with your palm.
- 06
Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange the dough two inches apart on parchment-lined sheets.
- 07
Bake 10–13 minutes, until the edges are set and the bottoms are very lightly golden, keeping the tops pale. Cool completely.
- 08
Whisk the glaze ingredients until smooth, adding milk only as needed.
- 09
Spoon or dip the cooled cookies in a thin layer of glaze. Leave uncovered 45–60 minutes until fully set before stacking.
Notes
Freeze the shaped, unbaked cookies on a tray, then bag them — they keep two months and bake from frozen with a minute or two added.