Double Vanilla Delights

Cookie:

   1 vanilla bean*

   1 cup butter, softened

   1/2 cup sugar

   1/2 cup powdered sugar

   1 egg

   2 cups flour

   1/2 teaspoon baking soda

   1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

   1/4 teaspoon salt

   1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

   Sugar

Frosting:

   1 vanilla bean*

   1/3 cup half & half

   2 tablespoons butter, softened

   2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Slice 1 vanilla bean lengthwise with sharp knife on flat surface.  Scrape seeds into large bowl; reserve bean pod shell.  Add 1 cup butter to seeds in bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy.  Add sugar, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and egg; continue beating until well mixed.  Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.  Mix well.  Stir in walnuts.

Place additional sugar into small bowl.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll balls in sugar.  Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake for around 9 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.  Cool completely.

Meanwhile, slice vanilla bean for frosting .  Open vanilla bean to expose seeds; place vanilla bean with seeds and reserved vanilla bean pod shell into 2-quart saucepan.  Add half & half; cook over medium heat until mixture just starts to boil.  Remove from heat; let mixture stand at room temperature until cool (30 minutes).  Discard vanilla bean pods.

Combine half & half mixture, 2 tablespoons butter and 2 cups powdered sugar in small bowl.  Beat at low speed, adding additional half & half if necessary.  Frost cooled cookies.

*Substitute 1 tablespoon real vanilla extract.  Eliminate step to cook vanilla bean in half & half.  Combine half and half with butter and powdered sugar as directed.

(I made half with walnuts and half without.  These cookies were a huge hit!)

You roll them in regular sugar!