Vanilla Kifli Cookies

Here's a great holiday cookie for your cookie swaps.  A basic shortbread cookie with a twist:  use vanilla beans instead of extract!  Same delicious outcome with flecks of beautiful black vanilla bean seeds.  Kinda makes you want to break out the ice cream maker, doesn't it?

VANILLA KIFLI COOKIES (makes 20 cookies)

Sugar Coating:
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
3 Tbsp sugar
Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean

Cookies:
1 cup, plus 1 Tbsp AP flour
2 oz blanched almonds
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean
1/3 cup, plus 1 Tbsp confectioners' sugar
1 large egg yolk

To prepare the sugar coating:
Place both sugars and the vanilla bean seeds into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the seeds are distributed throughout the sugar.  Pour the mixture into a small bowl and set aside.

To prepare the cookies:
Place the flour, almonds, and salt in the same processor bowl.  Pulse until the almonds are finely chopped, then set the mixture aside.

Mix the butter, vanilla bean seeds, and sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until fully combined.  Add the egg yolk to the bowl and mix until creamy.  Add the flour-almond mixture and continue working until fully incorporated.

Form a disc with the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 90 minutes.

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Remove the dough from the frig, and with your hands, roll the dough into 1/2"W x 3"L logs (20 grams), making sure that the ends of the logs are slightly tapered, then curve the dough slightly to form a crescent shape.  Place the crescents onto the prepared cookie sheet, about 1" apart.

Bake the cookies for 7 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 7 minutes, or until light golden brown.

Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and place it onto a wire rack.  Let the cookies sit for 3-4 minutes, then gently toss each one into the vanilla-sugar mixture until completely coated on all sides.  Let the cookies cool before serving.

Recipe Source:  www.qvc.com/vanillakaflicookies.content.html