Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies with Homemade Raspberry Jam

    The school year has pretty much come to an end, and though I still have some state tests to take (honestly, the worst part about those is really just sitting in a freezing cafeteria for three hours a day), I've had my last classes. Around Christmas, lots of my friends got their teachers gifts as little thank-you's; I was too busy around then to even think about this until the last day of school before vacation, but I decided to make up for it before the end of the school year.

     I decided to bake my teachers cookies, because let's be honest, who doesn't like cookies?! I started out trying to make raspberry macarons, but it was too humid and they cracked and it was late at night and I had spent all week taking finals and so I made vanilla bean sugar cookies. Which made a lot of sense in my head at the time... I already had the macaron filling, a delicious homemade raspberry jam, ready, so the sugar cookies became sandwiches.
      Luckily, they worked out really well. The cookies are chewy and buttery, and the vanilla goes perfectly with the tart raspberry. Plus, how cute are these when they're nestled into mini bakery boxes?
    Enjoy!

 Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies with Homemade Raspberry Jam

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

(adapted from Beyond Kimchee)

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

4 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1 large (or 2 small) vanilla beans

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar, for coating

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter, shortening, and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. With a knife halve vanilla bean(s) lengthwise. Scrape seeds into the butter mixture and beat in egg and vanilla extract until combined well.
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into mixture and beat until just combined.
Let the dough chill for at least 30 minutes.
Roll into 1" balls (I used a cookie scoop) and roll them in 1/4 cup sugar. Place them 2" apart on a cookie sheet lined with a baking mat or parchment paper.
Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the edges get lightly golden.

Homemade Raspberry Jam

(from Ladurée Sucré; wording slightly adapted from Not So Humble Pie)

225g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) granulated sugar

2 tsp powdered pectin

375g (3 cups) french raspberries

1/2 lemon

In a large bowl, combine the sugar and pectin.
Using an immersion blender, puree the fresh raspberries and then pour into a medium sauce pan.
Over low heat bring the berries to just barely warm, then add the sugar and pectin mixture and the juice from the half lemon. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for two minutes.
Pour the jam into a bowl and cover. Allow to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until chilled.

Sandwich two cookies with a layer of raspberry jam inbetween.
      -makes about 12 sandwich cookies

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening

3/4 cup sugar

2 vanilla beans

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar for coating

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF (170ºC)
2. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter, shortening, and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. With a knife halve vanilla beans lengthwise. Scrape seeds into butter mixture and beat in egg and vanilla extract until combined well.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into mixture and beat until just combined.
4. Let the dough chill for at least 30 minutes.
5. Make into 1 inch size balls and roll them in 1/4 cup sugar. Place them 2" apart in a cookie sheet lined with baking mat or parchment paper.
6. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the edges gets lightly golden.

- See more at: http://www.beyondkimchee.com/vanilla-bean-sugar-cookies/#sthash.lKEKI5vc.dpuf

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening

3/4 cup sugar

2 vanilla beans

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar for coating

- See more at: http://www.beyondkimchee.com/vanilla-bean-sugar-cookies/#sthash.lKEKI5vc.dpuf

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening

3/4 cup sugar

2 vanilla beans

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar for coating

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF (170ºC)
2. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter, shortening, and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. With a knife halve vanilla beans lengthwise. Scrape seeds into butter mixture and beat in egg and vanilla extract until combined well.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into mixture and beat until just combined.
4. Let the dough chill for at least 30 minutes.
5. Make into 1 inch size balls and roll them in 1/4 cup sugar. Place them 2" apart in a cookie sheet lined with baking mat or parchment paper.
6. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the edges gets lightly golden.

- See more at: http://www.beyondkimchee.com/vanilla-bean-sugar-cookies/#sthash.lKEKI5vc.dpuf

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening

3/4 cup sugar

2 vanilla beans

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar for coating

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF (170ºC)
2. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter, shortening, and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. With a knife halve vanilla beans lengthwise. Scrape seeds into butter mixture and beat in egg and vanilla extract until combined well.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into mixture and beat until just combined.
4. Let the dough chill for at least 30 minutes.
5. Make into 1 inch size balls and roll them in 1/4 cup sugar. Place them 2" apart in a cookie sheet lined with baking mat or parchment paper.
6. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the edges gets lightly golden.

- See more at: http://www.beyondkimchee.com/vanilla-bean-sugar-cookies/#sthash.lKEKI5vc.dpuf