What happens when you take two yummy things and put them together? You get something even better. Today we mixed together white granulated sugar and vanilla beans and made Vanilla Sugar! It takes ordinary sugar to extraordinary! Vanilla sugar, when used alone, adds a subtle flavor. It can also be used to replace vanilla extract in a recipe (1 tbsp. vanilla sugar=1/4 tsp. vanilla extract), or can be used in addition to the extract to add more flavor & dimension to your baked goods.
There are TONS of different types of vanilla beans out there. I've seen counts of over 200 vanilla bean varieties... say what!? That's crazy! Some popular bean varieties include Madagascar, Tongan, Tahitian, Mexican, Indian, Indonesian, Bourbon, etc and they all have varying flavor. I've used the Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans- because during my research I learned they were the best for making vanilla extracts and sugars. (I do want to try the Tahitian and Mexican next though.) The flavor of this Madagascar bean is great for cooking with (whether you make an extract--post to come soon, or if you make the vanilla sugar). Once you start looking online you might be overwhelmed at all the varieties of vanilla beans. One word of caution.... DON'T buy them at the grocery store. They come in a small bottle and it costs like $12 for only 1, maybe 2 beans. Ridiculous! The best way to buy your beans is to get them online. I've bought them here at Olive Nation. They have free shipping on all vanilla bean orders. The more you buy, the better the deal is. I've ordered from here several times, and they were great quality beans when I received them I was able to make a bunch of different things. Plus they can be stored for future use.
The beans aren't very attractive, but as soon as you open the package, the sweet aroma of creamy vanilla will fill the room. Here is one thing that you can do with the vanilla beans... make vanilla sugar. It's simple and will only take 5 minutes.
In order to make the vanilla sugar, you need 2 ingredients. Sugar & vanilla beans.
That's it! And 1 to 2 weeks later, you can start using the sugar that has been infused with the flavor of the vanilla beans.
There is so much flavor in a single vanilla bean that you can continue to add fresh sugar to the container with the bean and it will continue to make more and more vanilla sugar. You can do this for about 6 months. Awesome!
How to Cut A Vanilla Bean: Lay the bean flat on wax paper (so you don't lose any precious seeds) on a cutting surface. Carefully cut at the center, then cut toward each end. Once the bean is split open, scrape the tiny seeds out with the blade of the knife or the tip of a spoon. (By cutting the bean open before placing it in the sugar, more surfaces of the bean is exposed, intensifying the flavoring properties.)
{{Vanilla Sugar}}
(printer friendly version click here)
1 vanilla bean, whole or scraped
2 cups granulated sugar (can also use confectioners' sugar)
First rinse off the vanilla bean with water and pat it dry. Then take the whole vanilla bean and slice down the side of bean with the back of a knife (or a spoon) and scrape out the black gooey seeds. Stir the seeds into the sugar that is in an airtight container. Bury the bean in the sugar as well and seal tightly with lid. Let sit for 1 to 2 weeks. Use in place of any recipe that calls for regular, granulated sugar. More sugar can be added to the same beans for up to 6 months and the bean will continue to flavor the sugar.
1 vanilla bean, whole or scraped
2 cups granulated sugar (can also use confectioners' sugar)
First rinse off the vanilla bean with water and pat it dry. Then take the whole vanilla bean and slice down the side of bean with the back of a knife (or a spoon) and scrape out the black gooey seeds. Stir the seeds into the sugar that is in an airtight container. Bury the bean in the sugar as well and seal tightly with lid. Let sit for 1 to 2 weeks. Use in place of any recipe that calls for regular, granulated sugar. More sugar can be added to the same beans for up to 6 months and the bean will continue to flavor the sugar.
Suggested ways to use the Vanilla Sugar: (possibilities are endless)
- Sprinkle it directly on cookies, muffins, cereal, oatmeal, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and other beverages.
- Kettle Corn Popcorn
- Put the sugar in a cute air tight container, add a ribbon & give as a gift! Add it to a gift basket of other goodies that the sugar can be used with.
- Baking--
- Snickerdoodles & SuperDoodles
- Sugar Cookies
- Cakes (especially white cakes)
- Fruit Desserts
- Puddings
