Four Seasons Vanilla Sugar Recipes

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
• Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Beat until the dough just comes together, being careful not to over mix.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Place the ball of dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper and roll out to 1/4-inch thick. Keeping the dough in the parchment, transfer to a cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut out the cookies in the desired shapes and place on a half-sheet pan lined with parchment paper or an un-greased nonstick cookie sheet, at least 1-inch apart. Transfer to the freezer and chill for at least 15 minutes or until they are firm.
• Bake until the cookies are light golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Let cookies cool completely on the sheets before decorating.

Steps:

• Pour the sugar into an airtight container. If the vanilla bean is whole, slice it halfway through the long way, open up the bean, and use a spoon or kitchen knife to scrape out the black gooey specks. Stir the specks into the sugar, and bury the bean pod in the sugar. Cover the jar and let stand for at least 1 week.

Steps:

• Cut the 2 ounces dough in half, shape each half into a 9 to 10-inch rope with your palms, and flatten the ropes slightly. Place the ropes in the tart shell, one across the other at right angles, so that the shell is divided into 4 equal quadrants. Spoon the raspberry and apricot preserves, pastry cream, and cherries each separately into 1 quadrant. Brush the dough with the egg.
• Baking: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until light golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Immediately brush the fruit with the glaze. Let cool, to room temperature, on a rack.
• By Mixer:
• Cream the butter and the sugar in a mixer bowl with the paddle until pale and creamy. Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and lemon juice, 1 at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add the flour and salt and mix until the dough comes together and is consistent but still soft. Be careful not to overmix or the pastry will be tough.
• At this point you may pat the dough into place in a buttered tart pan and bake it immediately after chilling. Otherwise, divide it into thirds or halves, depending on the size tart you are planning, or flatten the whole amount into a 4 to 5-inch disk.
• Chilling: Wrap the dough with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and refrigerate at least 1 hour but no longer than 1 day.
• Shaping: Let the dough stand at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before rolling it out. Knead the dough briefly on a lightly floured surface to loosen it and make it supple enough for shaping. Roll the dough out 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick with a rolling pin and ease the dough into a lightly buttered pan. Trim the edge by running the rolling pin or a dough scraper over the edge of the pan to cut the dough neatly and then tidy the edge with your fingers.
• For 1 (9-inch) tart shell, use 9 to 10 ounces (250 to 300 grams) dough and roll into a circle. Line a buttered 9-inch tart pan with the dough.
• Storage: Store the remaining unrolled dough, including all scraps which may be used again, in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 days or the freezer up to 1 month. Let frozen dough thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours before rolling it out.
• Resting: Refrigerate the dough-lined pan for 20 to 30 minutes to reduce shrinking when the pastry is baked.
• Baking. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For partially baked shells: Line each shell with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until set, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and let cool 5 to 10 minutes. Place the tart pan on top of a smaller can, such as a coffee can, and gently release the side of the pan from the baked tart crust. Let cool completely on a rack.
• Slowly heat the milk, 1 teaspoon of the sugar, and the lemon zest in the top of a double boiler over simmering water or in a small heavy saucepan over low heat. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining sugar, the egg yolks, and salt in a small bowl until thick but still golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Sift in the flour, a little at a time, whisking briskly to mix thoroughly. Whisk 1/4 cup of the boiling milk mixture. 1 tablespoon at a time, into the egg mixture; then pour the egg mixture into the remaining milk mixture. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. As it begins to reach a boil and look lumpy, whisk it vigorously to smooth it. When the cream is as thick as mayonnaise, reduce the heat and whisk or stir for another minute. Remove from the heat and discard the lemon zest. Beat in the vanilla and then the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Cool the cream quickly by placing the pan in a bowl of cold water or by spreading the cream out on 2 baking sheets. Smear a little butter on top and cover tightly with plastic wrap so that the cream doesn't develop a skin. Cool completely in the refrigerator. You may want to thin it with 1 or 2 tablespoons milk before using. This pastry cream will keep 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator or in the freezer up to 2 months.
• Heat the preserves and water in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat until the mixture comes to a boil and strain through a sieve. Use the glaze while it is still warm. Any leftover glaze will keep indefinitely in a covered jar; heat again before using.

Steps:

• Cut beans into one-inch lengths and combine with the superfine sugar in a food processor. Process, using a pulsing motion, until the beans are well chopped. The sugar will be coffee-colored. Transfer to an airtight jar and allow to sit for one week.
• Strain the sugar through a fine sieve, reserving the bean pieces to use in the same way again. The sugar will strain more easily if spread on a flat pan and dried in a turned-off oven or one with a pilot light for two or three hours. Do not let the temperature exceed about 100 degrees.
• Measure the strained sugar and combine with an equal amount of confectioners' sugar. Store in a tightly closed container and use in place of regular sugar whenever a strong vanilla flavor is desired. It is delicious with hot chocolate and on fresh fruits, crepes, waffles and french toast, as well as in baked goods.