Chocolate Chip Vanilla Bean Cookies

My ideal chocolate chip cookie is thin, crispy, and deeply golden brown. This recipe incorporates an entire vanilla bean (the entire thing, not just the inside) which adds a delicous kick to a traditional cookie recipe. Currently I have a surplus of used vanilla bean pods from making my own vanilla extract. I figured I would use them rather than throw them away! I found the recipe on Epicurean Mom. I changed the baking directions so the cookies would be crispy, not chewy. So if you desire a chewy cookie, follow her directions.

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup cane sugar

1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 1/2 tbsp half and half
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 whole vanilla bean, sliced in half
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and set aside. Whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda in a small bowl.

In a food processor, process the 1/4 cup granulated sugar and vanilla bean until the bean is completely blended into the sugar. Stir the melted butter and sugars together.  Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, half and half, and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture slowly. Then fold in the chocolate chips.

Refrigerate for about 1 hour. 

On ungreased cookie sheets, scoop out 1 heaping teaspoonful of dough about 2-3 inches apart. Bake for about 12 minutes, turning the cookie sheets halfway through the baking process. Bake until golden brown. Let sit on baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to cooling racks.
I served these cookies with some homemade brown sugar vanilla ice cream for a cookout at Nick's parents house. The rest of the cookies were saved for my cousins in Harrisburg.

Lactation Cookies.

That's right friends. Lactation cookies of the oatmeal and chocolate chip variety.  This month good friends of mine welcomed their child into the world.  I was hoping to find a way to help or support in this time, and my friend suggested the idea for lactation cookies as thought of by her lactation consultant.  As a novice baker I'm usually pumped to try something new.  This recipe is inspired by the recipe for Momma's Milk Cookies on this website, which will also give you information on why the key ingredients of oats, brewer's yeast, and flax are helpful.  The key ingredients just provide nutrients that are helpful for lactation;  I ate a couple and nothing weird happened.  The recipe is definitely unique and the cookies are different from any oatmeal chocolate chip cookies I've had before.  I'm going to try the other recipe on the linked site soon, and if you have any ideas for other uses for brewer's yeast please pass them my way.

Found in the vitamins & supplement section in 

Whole Foods.