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

Vanilla Bean Pound Cake

When we think of treats for Valentine's Day, we most often turn our thoughts toward luscious truffles, decadent chocolate cheesecake, and other chocolaty confections.  Believe it or not, though, not everyone loves chocolate.  My mother is one of those who would rather have a buttery shortbread, coffee cake lathered in butter,  or a slice of delicious pound cake {she is a lover of butter}.  My sister gave me some vanilla beans when they visited for Thanksgiving, and I've been waiting for an opportunity to use them.  I can't wait to make some homemade vanilla extract, but I also wanted to try my hand at incorporating vanilla bean into baked goods.  After a little research, I felt confident enough to give it a try.

This pound cake turned out a bit lighter than most pound cakes I've had, but the flavor is excellent!  If you prefer a less dense pound cake, this one is perfect!

Vanilla Bean Pound Cake\
Printable Version

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean
6 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup half & half

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.

Slice the vanilla bean in half, lengthwise, spread open, and scrape out the vanilla seeds from the inside.

Add scraped seeds to bowl and cream until well incorporated.  {Reserve vanilla bean pod for another use}.

The inside of a vanilla bean looks like this when scraped out; don't be alarmed.

Those little specks are bits of vanilla--yum!

Beat in eggs.

Add flour, baking powder and salt, and mix until well combined.

Pour in half & half, and mix for about 5 minutes.  Pour into greased 10-inch tube pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, 15 minutes, until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes, and then place on cooling rack to cool completely.