Vanilla Wafers

I've had this recipe from Food Network's Alton Brown in my "try soon" folder for the longest time. It was so easy to make that I don't know why I didn't sooner! The vanilla flavor was excellent, and the texture was soft instead of crispy like the Nabisco Nilla Wafers. The recipe really does indeed make 70 small vanilla wafers. I'm saving the extra for banana pudding. Yum!

Note- To make vanilla sugar, stick a couple of vanilla beans in regular sugar. Regular sugar works fine in this recipe, too!

Ingredients

7 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces unsalted butter room temperature (1 stick)
3 1/2 ounces vanilla sugar (about 1/2 cup)
1 large egg
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon whole milk 

Instructions

Position 1 oven rack in the top third of the oven and another in the bottom third. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Cream the butter and vanilla sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl after 1 minute. Add the egg and incorporate on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl. Add the vanilla extract and milk and blend on low speed for 15 seconds. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just to incorporate. Chill the batter in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes before scooping.
Scoop the batter in teaspoon-sized balls and arrange them on 2 parchment paper-lined half sheet pans, approximately 35 cookies per pan. Use the heel of your hand to slightly flatten each ball. Bake, 2 pans at a time, rotating the pans halfway through the baking, until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pans to a cooling rack to cool completely before removing the cookies from the pan.

Yields 70 wafers.