Cookies Archives | The Vanilla Bean Blog

Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 16:10:23 +0000

I used to work at a coffeehouse that made the most perfect lemon sugar cookies: gigantic in size, with light lemon flavor and a dusting of sugar. However, when the baker left (along with a few important recipes), this cookie was pronounced lost forever. On and off over the years, I have tried to re-create the magic of these cookies, and finally succeeded. These incredible lemon cookies are large in size, bakery-style: the sides are slightly crisp, and the center rich and chewy. They are a perfect way to ward off the lingering winter blues while we impatiently wait for spring. It took awhile to get these cookies just right. The original recipe had a delicate lemon flavor, with crisp edges and a soft, chewy center that almost melted in your mouth. I spent weeks playing around with ratios, and finally settled on 2 tablespoons lemon zest for good flavor, an added egg yolk to help with both softness and richness in the center bite (plus it added a little more yellow color), and both baking powder and soda to help the centers rise while baking, and then gently drop as they cooled, creating a tender, yet chewy center. Important […]

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The Best Way to Prep & Store Cookie Dough

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 23 Nov 2025 00:32:27 +0000

This post is sponsored by Nordic Ware. I often put things off until the last minute (I can be a chronic procrastinator) but holiday cookie baking is always something I prepare for well in advance. It appears many of you do as well, as making cookie dough in advance is one of the questions I receive the most. I’m excited to share all of my tips and tricks with you, featuring the five most popular holiday cookies on my site! I start making cookie dough in November, taking a few hours on a Saturday and making family favorites for Thanksgiving. I freeze the dough, and then bake off as needed. Whenever the dough starts getting low, I take another afternoon and make more, re-making any favorites that only come out for the holidays, and then new ones in rotation. In December I work on even more cookie dough, as I make boxes for all the neighbors and spend more time with loved ones. I spend a few days making dough, and then bake the morning of the box giving and a few days before our family gatherings. In years past I have spent my time making dough, freezing it on […]

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Pan-banging Peanut Butter Cookies

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 22:50:23 +0000

It has been awhile since I have made a peanut butter cookie, and I have found myself craving them, per usual, at the beginning of September, when school is back in session. It’s probably due to peanut butter sandwich nostalgia (because wow, I ate a lot of those over my school career), but whatever the reason, I really want a peanut butter cookie. I revamped my pan-banging peanut butter cookie from 100 Cookies; the original recipe includes a little almond flour and a minimal amount of peanut butter. I was out of almond flour and wanted more peanut butter flavor, so I started tinkering with these. My main goal was to keep the crispy edges the pan-banging technique is known for, especially in my Pan-Banging Chocolate Chip Cookies; however, peanut butter tends to make things chewy. Moving the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling helped keep the edges nice and crisp, while the center stayed chewy and moist. Adding Inclusions Chocolate is optional here, and there is a variation for peanut butter and jelly cookies in the notes. I also have many other recipes for pan-banging cookies: try Sesame Chocolate, Ginger Molasses, and Red Velvet. Some tips and […]

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Fruity, Nutty Chocolate Biscotti

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 23:14:38 +0000

I am excited to be sharing a recipe with you from Zoë François’ new book, Zoë Bakes Cookies, a follow-up to her incredible Zoë Bakes Cakes book. If you aren’t familiar with Zoë’s work, the short answer is that she is a pastry chef extraordinaire, and you can check out some of her amazing recipes and process videos on her website and over on her Instagram account. Her new book is a cookie tome with not only pages of incredible recipes, but a “cookie academy” section that will answer many of your pressing baking questions. I highly recommend adding this one to your cookie cookbook collection! As for the biscotti, I first encountered biscotti at the mall coffee shop my sister and I both worked at over holiday and summer vacations. The biscotti was sent to the store already wrapped in plastic and sat out on the counters to tempt customers with a quick purchase. I found I preferred the chocolate ones that were also dipped in more chocolate, and dunked them into my already too-sweet iced mocha (which probably isn’t the “proper” way to eat one, but brought me joy none-the-less). There is also, however, the day a biscotti was used as […]

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Neapolitan Shortbread Cookies

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 14:19:03 +0000

I decided to come up with a shortbread version of these Neapolitan cookies for a few reasons, since they always find their way into my holiday cookie boxes. The main reason being they are slightly less tedious to put together than the sugar cookie version, which saves some time during the holiday cookie madness I like to put myself through. Shortbread dough does not have any leavening in it, and is known for its “short” or crumbly texture. The shining ingredient is of course, butter, but this beautiful, multi-color cookie also has a nice hit of chocolate and strawberry. I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control how much salt I put into the cookie, but if you have a salted butter you love, you can use that instead; taste the finished dough before adding more salt. Make sure that the dough is completely combined, and use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the mixer. How to Shape Neapolitan Shortbread If you’re looking for a plain vanilla shortbread, I have this Buttery Shortbread recipe. If you wanted a pan version instead of slice and bake, you’ll love this Tender, Pan-Style Shortbread. I have quite a few […]

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Chewy Chocolate Sugar Cookies with Cardamom

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 22:24:51 +0000

I have been making some version of these chocolate sugar cookies with cardamom for twenty years, and the recipe has made it’s way, with various tweaks, into two of my cookbooks. In this recipe, the chocolate dough balls are rolled in granulated sugar that’s mixed with cardamom. These cookies are easy to make, and adds to my list of best holiday cookie box recipes. They also will satisfy any chocolate craving you may have. I had never even heard of cardamom until I started working at the Blue Heron Coffeehouse; Colleen had made cardamom chocolate scones and after one bite I was completely hooked. I made sure cardamom found it’s way into a lot of my baking, from Pound Cake to Sugar Buns to Layer Cake. While I love all of those recipes, my favorite way to use it is still paired with chocolate. If you’re not a fan of a cardamom, I think you’ll love my Chocolate Espresso Sugar Cookies. These cookies have deep chocolate flavor, slightly crisp edges the day of baking, and a tender, rich center that lasts for days. They incredibly easy to make, no refrigeration of the dough needed. And they freeze well, which helps when […]

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Un-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 21 May 2024 20:54:13 +0000

Recipes for cookies without chocolate chips are nothing new, of course, but when I posted a picture of my “un”-chocolate chip cookie on Instagram two weeks ago I had quite a few people asking for the recipe, so I thought a blog post was in order. While I personally love a warm pan-banging chocolate chip cookie, I have found that cookies without chocolate are also just as tasty. And, with a good friend who hates chocolate (what?) and another friend allergic to chocolate, I wanted something I could quickly make that would keep everyone happy and safe. What Makes this Chocolate Chipless Cookie Recipe Different This cookie is my Chocolate Chip Cookie 2.0 recipe with a few small changes. Since the chocolate is omitted, I do chill the dough in the freezer for 20 minutes; I’ve found that this helps the cookie not to spread and keeps its cute round shape. Increasing the oven temperature to 400F [200C] helped the cookies turn golden brown on top and bottom, and also helped them crisp beautifully. And sprinkling the flaky salt on the tops of the cookies before baking vs after brought out more flavor without tasting overwhelmingly salty. I also really like dark brown […]

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Soft Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 19:07:23 +0000

Often, when chocolate cookies are strutting around a bakery case, sending out their sexy, glossy vibes, the humble oatmeal cookie is completely overlooked. Small and round, filled with dried fruit and a handful of spices, this unassuming cookie doesn’t always make a big splash. Its charm is subtle; it hums quietly while other confections roar. But, in all honestly, I’m fine with the majority of people passing by these raisin-filled circles because it means there are more for me. Main Ingredients for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Rolled vs Quick Oats: I find either kind of oat works well in this cookie. Rolled oats will give them a little more chew, and my kids prefer quick oats because they don’t feel quite as “oaty”. Spices: I use cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg in these cookies. Cinnamon has always been a must in oatmeal cookies (I grew up making the quaker oats recipe on repeat), but I love the extra flavor of nutmeg here. It has a slightly bitter but warm flavor profile that compliments the cinnamon and elevates the cookie. Raisins: I use regular grocery store raisins in this recipe. Make sure they are fresh, and not dried out or hard, […]

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Tender Shortbread Cookies (pan-style)

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 10 Dec 2023 19:33:56 +0000

Shortbread has many aficionados, but like all intense passions, there is a great divide among enthusiasts about principle and purpose. Many fanatics argue over whether to work the butter into the flour toward the end of mixing, or cream butter and sugar together initially. In this version I use the latter method, and bake my shortbread in a pan for crisp, golden shortbread rectangles, or fingers as they are sometimes called. After testing the recipe at several different temperatures, I found I liked the “low and slow” method best. I bake these at 300F [150C] until golden brown for a rich, crisp shortbread. How this recipe differs from others: I bake my shortbread a little longer, so it is golden brown, because I like it crisp, which is why I give a large baking time range in the directions. It does turn dark golden quickly, especially on the edges, so keep an eye on it if you are letting it bake a little longer. I like to use both granulated and confectioners’ sugar and a good bit of salt, and also add an egg yolk to add both a little color and richness. if you’re looking to make circular type shortbread cookies, I have […]

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White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 10 Dec 2023 18:19:34 +0000

Almost every coffeehouse I worked at in the late 90’s made sure to offer four kinds of cookies: chocolate chip (of course), peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, and the very fancy (at least for suburban Minnesota) white chocolate macadamia nut. Chocolate chip was my number one pick each time, and I never was a huge fan of the latter: the white chocolate was overly sweet, and the macadamia nuts were left in huge pieces that could crack a tooth. Years later when I was developing cookie recipes I finally found a white chocolate that I liked, and discovered that using that good chocolate and finely chopping the macadamia nuts so they weren’t so overwhelming made for a delicious cookie. I use it often; my Half-n-Half White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies which are another favorite. This cookie is based on my Chocolate Chip Cookie 2.0 recipe, with a small change: I use more brown sugar here than white sugar for a little more rich, caramel-y sugar profile to shine through. I also have a variation (see notes) that includes cacao nibs and orange, which I love equally as much as the original. The bitter complexity of the cacao nibs really balance the sweet […]

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