Vanilla Sugar is one of my simple pleasures in life. Made with just two ingredients, this Vanilla Sugar is a staple in my pantry. Sometimes I like to use it instead of regular sugar when baking scones, muffins, cakes or other desserts. Recently, I made a simple syrup with Vanilla Sugar then mixed it into ice cold margaritas. Really, you can use Vanilla Sugar in most recipes that call for white sugar. The substitution will impart a subtle vanilla flavor into anything you are making. I will have to say though, that my favorite part of this Vanilla Sugar is the aroma. Once or twice a week, I find myself popping back the lid to take in a noseful of the sweet, heady fragrance. So simple, yet so wonderful. Continue reading for the recipe plus a list of some of my favorite simple pleasures.
Learn to love the simple things in life and you’ll always find happiness. Here are some of the simple things that I love:
- Morning coffee and my Google Reader
- Driving on a warm, sunny day with all of my windows rolled down
- Weck jars and latte bowls
- The smell of onions and garlic sauteing in olive oil
- Cream soda
- The big smile on my boyfriend’s face each time I greet him at the door
- Crispy bacon
- Standing on the beach where the water meets the sand
- Dog ears – so soft!
- The first sip of a bloody mary
- This song
- Mornings in the desert
- Dippies – aka sauces to dip my fries or chicken fingers in
- The few moments after spraying my Jo Malone fragrances
- Freshly chopped fennel fronds
- Dancing to this song
- Holding hands in the car
- Bath & Body Works
- Bargain shopping – especially sharing all of the deals and steals with friends
- Linen spray
- Kangaroo paws
- west elm floorset changes
- Olive oil, balsamic vinegar and warm, crusty bread
What are some of your simple pleasures?
- 1 vanilla bean*
- 2 cups white sugar
- Cut vanilla bean in half widthwise, then cut each piece in half lengthwise. Place sugar in a large airtight container then scrape beans from the vanilla pods into the jar. Toss in the pods, secure the lid and shake to combine.
Related recipes and articles:
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I love your list – from west elm to jo malone to vanilla sugar – great one! Too ironic on your timing of this vanilla sugar post – I just got beans in the mail yesterday!!
Nice!! Did you get them from Amazon?
YES to all those things on your list! Simple pleasures are easy to agree on
Except I don’t think I’ve ever seen a kangaroo paw before!
They are all around San Diego this time of the year. I believe Liberty Station has a lot of them!
The fact that the song Fast Car is on your simple pleasure list made my day!
it’s my favorite song!!
Yes!!! I love that song
You can also make vanilla sugar without scraping the beans into the sugar. At work and home, the pulp is used for recipes and the shell is all that’s put into the sugar, with the same result. So that way you’re getting two uses out of each pod. I have a pretty large container of sugar and it has about 15 beans in it, and the sugar is well flavored.
I agree! This recipe is a perfect use up for leftover beans.
Hello,thank you so much for the information,it is very useful for me as vanilla farmer in Java,Indonesia.