Vanilla Freezer Biscuits Cookies With Variations Recipes

Steps:

• Scrape seeds from vanilla bean (they advise you discard the bean but stick it in a canister of sugar and you will soon have vanilla sugar).
• Beat butter, sugar and bean seeds until pale and creamy using an electric mixer.
• Add egg and beat until combined.
• Sift flour over butter mixture and use a wooden spoon, stir to combine.
• Place dough on a lightly floured surface and divide in half.
• Using hands shape each half in a 30cm long log.
• Wrap each log in baking paper, twirling ends to seal.
• Freeze for 2 hours or until firm.
• Remove logs from freezer 15 minutes before slicing.
• Preheat oven to 180 degree C (160 C for fan forced).
• Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
• Remove paper from logs and slice into 1.5cm thick rounds.
• Place rounds, 3cm apart on prepared trays.
• Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until light golden colour.
• Cool on trays for 5 minutes and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
• Dust with icing sugar and serve.
• You can leave logs in freezer for up to 2 months, thaw for 1 hour before slicing and baking.
• VARIATIONS.
• Chocolate chips - Stir 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate chips at the end of step 4.
• Pistachio - Stir in 2/3 cups of roughly chopped pistachio kernels at the end of step 4.
• Citrus - Add 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon or orange rind with vanilla bean seeds in step 2.

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine yeast and sugar in water.
• Set aside for 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt.
• Cut in butter to form a crumbly mixture.
• Stir in yeast mixture and buttermilk.
• Mix just enough to hold dough together.
• Roll dough 3/4 inches thick on floured surface.
• Cut out biscuits with the top of a glass or a cutter.
• Prick tops with fork.
• Freeze separately on cookie sheet.
• After biscuits are frozen, stack and wrap well.
• Before baking let rise until doubled in size.
• Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
• Makes 3-4 dozen.
• Grated Cheddar cheese may be added to soft dough for flaky cheese biscuits.

Steps:

• When the butter is really soft, tip it into a bowl along with the sugar. Using an electric hand whisk or exercising some arm muscle, beat together until the sugar is mixed through. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt, if you like. Stir in the flour and oats. The mixture will be quite stiff at this point. Now decide what else you would like to add - any or all of the flavours are delicious - and stir through.
• Tear off an A4-size sheet of greaseproof paper. Pile up half the mixture in the middle of the sheet, then use a spoon to thickly spread the mixture along the centre of the paper. Pull over one edge of paper and roll up until you get a tight cylinder. If you have problems getting it smooth, then roll as you would a rolling pin along a kitchen surface. You'll need it to be about the width of a teacup. When it is tightly wrapped, twist up the ends and then place in the freezer. Can be frozen for up to 3 months.
• To cook, heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and unwrap the frozen biscuit mix. Using a sharp knife, cut off a disk about ½cm wide. If you have difficulty slicing through, dip the knife into a cup of hot water. Cut off as many biscuits as you need, then pop the mix back into the freezer for another time. Place on a baking sheet, spacing them widely apart as the mixture will spread when cooking, then cook for 15 mins until the tops are golden brown. Leave to cool for at least 5 mins before eating.

Steps:

• cream butter, sugar and essence.
• add egg.
• then add dry ingredients.
• roll into balls.
• place on cold greased trays.
• press down with a fork.
• bake 15-20 minutes at 190 degrees.
• or 12-15 minutes for me because I have and aga.

Steps:

• Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine flour and salt.
• In a separate bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
• Add sugar and continue beating until smooth. Stir in vanilla.
• Add flour and salt to mixture and stir until smooth.
• Divide dough into two flat disks roughly an inch thick and wrap in plastic.
• Chill for an hour.
• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• On a slightly floured surface, roll out dough to desired thickness.
• Shape with lightly floured cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheets and refrigerate 20 more minutes.
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until cookies are firm without browning.
• Cool on a rack.
• Now for the Variations on the Theme:.
• White-Chocolate Dipped:.
• Roll out dough roughly 1/3 of an inch thick. Cut into rounds and place cookies onto prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate and bake as per above instructions. After cooling, melt 6 ounces of white chocolate in a double boiler. Dip cookies into white chocolate and return to rack. Let chocolate set before handling.
• Cranberry Clementine:.
• Prepare one batch of basic shortbead dough, omitting vanilla extract. Work 1/2 cup finely chopped dried cranberries and 2 tbs grated clementine zest into dough. Roll out dough 1/2 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Refrigerate and bake as per above instructions.
• Pecan Macadamia Bites:.
• Add 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans and 1/4 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts to dough. Scoop out tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. Flatten each ball between your palms into bite-sized disks about an inch across. Place on prepared cookie sheets, refrigerate and bake as per instructions above. After cooking, dust cookies with icing sugar through a fine wire strainer.
• Sugar Stars:.
• Roll out dough roughly 1/3 of an inch thick. Cut into stars and place cookies onto prepared baking sheets. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush tops of cookies with egg white and sprinkle each cookie with coarse white sugar. Refrigerate and bake as per above instructions.
• Enjoy!