Makes 3 dozen cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour: sifted
3/4 cup cold butter: cut into small pieces
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 of 1 vanilla bean: cut in half and the seeds scraped out
3-4 tablespoons of milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease 3 cookie sheets

In a large bowl, sift the flour and add the cubed butter. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Stir in the sugar, vanilla extract, the scraped seeds from the vanilla bean and the milk until a dough forms.

Roll the dough out on to a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 1/4 inch.

Cut out hearts with a 2 inch cookie cutter and arrange on the prepared cookie sheets.

Sprinkle a small amount of sugar on the hearts and bake for 13-15 minutes, until lightly browned on the edge. (15 minutes will make a crisp cookie)

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

* This is a very delicate dough, so make sure that your rolling pin is well floured and lift the cookies off the work surface with a knife or a pastry cutter. If the hearts are a little misshapened, you can fix the edges of the dough with your fingers. After baking, loosen the cookies with a spatula and slide them off the cookie sheet on to the wire rack.

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