Vanilla Wafers
By Nicole KonstantinakosPublished on July 2, 2024
Time
1 Hour
Yield
Makes 80 wafers
Ingredients
Before You Begin
For the best results, weigh the flour and the sugar. Make sure the melted butter has cooled to about 80 degrees before proceeding with step 2. Be sure to measure scant 1-teaspoon dough portions (using a #100 cookie scoop or a 1-teaspoon measuring spoon) to yield a total of 80 wafers.
Instructions
- Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Sift flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
- Whisk melted butter, egg, and vanilla in large bowl until smooth. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and gently whisk until smooth, scraping any loose flour mixture from sides of bowl as needed (do not overwhisk). (Consistency will be that of thick batter; dough will thicken as it sits.)
- Using #100 scoop or 1-teaspoon measuring spoon, portion dough onto sheet in 5 staggered rows of six, about 1½ inches apart, to fit 30 dough mounds. Repeat portioning 30 dough mounds onto second prepared sheet.
- Bake until edges and bottoms of wafers are golden brown and tops are dry and light golden, 16 to 19 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let wafers cool on sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer wafers to wire rack.
- Portion remaining dough into 20 mounds on now-empty sheet and bake on upper-middle rack until edges and bottoms are golden brown and tops are dry and light golden, 16 to 19 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let wafers cool on sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely. (Wafers can be stored in airtight container for up to 1 week.)
Time
1 HourYield
Makes 80 wafersIngredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We set out to create the most streamlined approach possible for a copycat Nilla Wafers recipe that would pass muster among even the most devoted fans of the store-bought treats. Apart from satisfying cravings for a sweet snack that's heady with vanilla aroma, this recipe yields a batch of 80 cookies that can be substituted for a standard (11-ounce) box of Nilla Wafers in iconic desserts (such as our Banana Pudding). To keep things easy, we forewent the use of kitchen appliances and relied on a tried-and-true hands-and-bowls method for making our dough: We simply combined cooled melted butter, an egg, and vanilla extract and then gently incorporated our dry ingredients (sifted flour, confectioners' sugar, salt, and baking soda). Opting for confectioners' sugar over granulated and baking soda over powder gave us the familiar airy-crisp texture we were looking for.
Before You Begin
For the best results, weigh the flour and the sugar. Make sure the melted butter has cooled to about 80 degrees before proceeding with step 2. Be sure to measure scant 1-teaspoon dough portions (using a #100 cookie scoop or a 1-teaspoon measuring spoon) to yield a total of 80 wafers.
Instructions
- Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Sift flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
- Whisk melted butter, egg, and vanilla in large bowl until smooth. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and gently whisk until smooth, scraping any loose flour mixture from sides of bowl as needed (do not overwhisk). (Consistency will be that of thick batter; dough will thicken as it sits.)
- Using #100 scoop or 1-teaspoon measuring spoon, portion dough onto sheet in 5 staggered rows of six, about 1½ inches apart, to fit 30 dough mounds. Repeat portioning 30 dough mounds onto second prepared sheet.
- Bake until edges and bottoms of wafers are golden brown and tops are dry and light golden, 16 to 19 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let wafers cool on sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer wafers to wire rack.
- Portion remaining dough into 20 mounds on now-empty sheet and bake on upper-middle rack until edges and bottoms are golden brown and tops are dry and light golden, 16 to 19 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let wafers cool on sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely. (Wafers can be stored in airtight container for up to 1 week.)
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