I know what you’re thinking.
You: Seriously, Joy!? You expect me to come hear and read about how to make sugar!?
Me: Um… yes? But it’s not just sugar. It’s sugar with fancy stuff in it.
You: Skeptical. This is still sounding lame.
Me: But there’s a cute jar and fancy ribbon too! Plus… bonus! I busted out the good cutting board and the fancy doily for your viewing pleasure.
You: Hm…. dazzle me.
Me. I’m trying! Geeeez.
I really love making flavored sugars.
They make me feel fancy.
They make the boring coffee I make for myself every morning feel like a special treat.
You can rub all kinds of citrus zest into sugar, creating a super fragrant lemon sugar or grapefruit sugar.
But my absolute favorite is sugar heavily scented with vanilla beans and lavender blossoms.
I mean.. just look at that! Tiny vanilla bean specks and beautiful dried lavender blossoms! It’s like your sugar went to the spa and got one of those fancy rubdowns.
Pretty jars and pretty bowls are pretty rad.
Now… obviously this sugar is a super great gift with, say… a half pound of coffee beans. But… what would happen if you just kept it for yourself and treated yourself to a fancysugar cup of coffee every morning? Magic. That’s what would happen.
It’s the little things… with bows.
My friend Whitney gave me this jar last week. Um… I know I was supposed to do something else with this jar, Whit. But now it has sugar in it. So… Yea…. I’m kinda busted. You can totally have the jar back. I hope you like Lavender Vanilla Sugar. Oh! Ps. I’m taking half of this sugar out of the jar before I give it back… it’s really good and I’m shellfish.
Lavender Vanilla Sugar
1 to 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon dried lavender blossoms
1 vanilla bean
small Ball jar
cute ribbon
Pour sugar into a medium size bowl. Top with lavender blossoms. Cut one small end of the vanilla bean off. Split the vanilla bean down the center, revealing tiny, sticky vanilla bean specks. Scrape vanilla beans out with a small knife and add to the sugar and lavender. Cut the vanilla bean pod in half and reserve.
With the back of a spoon, work the lavender and vanilla bean into the sugar. Be sure to press on the lavender blossoms to release their oils and to disperse any vanilla bean clumps that may try to form. Add the reserved vanilla bean pod and continue to press the sugar and lavender and vanilla together. It should smell amazing. Pour into the jar. Tie a pretty bow. Maybe you want to make a cute hand written label. How easy was that!? Dang.
Holly B
Was very excited, to make, Turn’s out this was super easy and taste very yummy when I added it to my morning coffee” . Defiantly going to give as a gift to my close friends and family. Thank You “
Helen
My girls and I are literally in the middle of making this sugar! And we have a question… After we scrape out the vanilla beans, do you throw the outer black part away or put it in the jar?
Great recipe, by the way, and perfect for kids to make. But I can’t keep their little fingers from eating the sugar!!
deb
You can always sift out the lavender petals right before you use the sugar and put them back into the main sugar vessel if you don’t like the bits & petals. I love the recipe & have been sharing it with others!
Michele
If you put this in coffee or tea, don’t you have lavender bits and vanilla bean bits floating around? That seems a wee unpleasant…
joythebaker
you do… i don’t think it’s unpleasant… but it may not be for everyone.