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1
Position oven rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat oven to 300.
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2
Have two 7 1/2 inch fluted tart pans with removable bottoms or two 9-inch glass pie pans at hand.
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3
Using a paring knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise; scrape the tiny seeds of the vanilla bean into a small bowl; discard the bean and set the seeds aside.
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4
Add the flour, cornstarch, and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until blended.
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5
Add the sugar, vanilla bean seeds, and orange zest; profess a few seconds, until blended.
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6
Scatter the butter cubes over the flour mixture and pulse 6 or 7 times, then process for 6 seconds, or until the crumbs are fine and powdery.
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7
Process another 5-7 seconds, until the crumbs are clumpier and the dough holds together easily when pressed.
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8
Press the dough evenly and firmly into the tart pans (if using pie pans, press the dough only into the bottom of the pans, not the sides.
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9
Press the back of the tines of a fork all around the edges of each pan, and sprinkle the shortbread with the coarse sugar.
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10
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until it is just barely colored a creamy beige; don't let it brown.
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11
Place the pans on a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes.
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12
Remove the rims of the pans if you are using tart pans, and cut each round into 12 wedges while it is still very warm.
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13
Transfer the triangles to the wire rack and cool completely.
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14
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
