Vanilla Sugar

It's that time of year to make “Vanilla Sugar” for the Christmas Cookies season!!!

4 cups sugar, (I use Domino® Granulated Pure Cane Sugar)
2-4 vanilla beans (I use Madagascar beans, for prime vanilla flavor)

For every 2 cups of white sugar.... add the scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean.

Measure 4 cups of sifted sugar, using a fine sifter, place in a bowl, set aside.

Depending on how intense you want you vanilla sugar, use 2-4 vanilla beans. Don't worry when you purchase your vanilla beans if the vanilla beans have developed a thin coating of whitish "fur;" this is simply some of the sugar in the bean crystallizing, and it won't hurt the bean, or you. In fact, it's a sign that the bean is good and fresh.

Use a shape paring knife (I usually use a razor blade , as it is easier to slit the vanilla bean), slit each bean completely lengthwise down the center firmly with the backside of the knife, scraping the tiny seeds, removing as much as you can.

Add the vanilla seeds to the sugar; using your fingers, rub the vanilla seeds with the sugar to evenly distribute the seeds throughout the sugar.

Sift sugar mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove hard nuggets left in the sifter; discard the nuggets.

Pace half of the vanilla sugar in a, air tight container. Then add the vanilla ponds in the container, I stand them up.

Add remaining sugar to the container, if there's place you can top off the container but adding more sugar.. Seal the container, (making sure lip of container is clean of any sugar) air tight. Then vigorously shake the container to making sure there are no clumps of sugar, also to evenly incorporate the newly added sugar to the container.

Let the vanilla sugar age for approximately 2 weeks in a cool dark place.

Every 3-4 days, vigorously shake the container every which way to keep the vanilla sugar from clumping and it to redistribute the vanilla seeds.

Store vanilla sugar in an airtight container indefinitely, just simply replace sugar as it is used.

Vanilla sugar is for an exquisite vanilla flavor sprinkled over French toast or on fresh berries. You simply wash and cut fruits, leaving slightly damp, then toss with Vanilla Sugar (1-2 TB. per quart of fruit) and let stand for a few minutes, then serve plain or as a topper for cereal or ice cream. Vanilla Sugar is perfect in coffee, it tastes great.

Vanilla Sugar can be used in baking cookies, cakes, pies and pastries and candy-making, and is particularly nice where the flavor of the vanilla bean should shine through, such as in ice-cream.

OMG... 8 weeks of aging, there is my vanilla sugar , closeup pictures, Gees, if ONLY you could Smell the sugar... it is so Heavenly!!! I can hardly wait to start my yearly Christmas baking!!!

Nielsen Massey Pure Vanilla Sugar, 8.5 oz. at Sur La Tablefrom Sur La Table

Finest quality. Since 1907. The world's finest vanilla. Our family business has crafted the finest vanilla products for more than 100 years. Add this blend of gourmet baker's ... See more details at Sur La Table

$18.00 +$1.47 tax and $6.50 shipping.

When you make your own vanilla sugar, it's just as good as any vanilla sugar on the market as long as you start with quality products. And it's a hole lot cheaper too!!
And a bonus, you have the control how intense you desire your own vanilla sugar to be, simply by adding more or less vanilla beans, and how long you "age" the sugar.

You can you coarse sugar in place with fine sugar as well!! Please let me know how you like my post!!!