Homemade Vanilla Sugar

Happy Valentine’s Day!

A couple weeks ago I shared with you my Vanilla Bean Pound Cake recipe, and I mentioned that you needed to save the vanilla bean pod for another use.  Today, I’m sharing with you how to put that pod to great use for some sweet flavor in your kitchen.

Coffee is a staple in our home, and my husband and I both enjoy a cup every morning.  I like my coffee with cream and sugar, not usually flavored, though, as my husband prefers his plain.  This morning, I used this sugar instead of plain, and it was quite yummy.  It would also be a nice touch in a cup of hot tea, if you prefer that to coffee.

Before making the sugar recipe below, wash off the vanilla bean pod, lay it out to dry completely, and then place it in a bowl of sugar for about a week or two.  This will help the sugar to become infused with a vanilla flavor.

Homemade Vanilla Sugar

1 vanilla bean pod
1 cup sugar

In a food processor, blend the bean pod and the sugar until pod is completely broken apart.

Put the mixture through a flour sifter or very fine sieve to get out all of the larger pod pieces.

These pieces were left in the sifter, which is why you want to be sure not to skip this step!

You can substitute vanilla sugar for sugar in any recipe in which you want to enhance the vanilla flavor.  Stir it into your coffee, or sprinkle it on top of milk brushed scones or other breads before baking.

*When I used this in my coffee, I needed a bit more sugar than normal.  When you sift the sugar, it must lose a bit of its strength as it becomes finer.  If you are using this as a substitute in baking, just be aware that you may need to adjust the amount.*

source: Zoe Bakes