Infused Sugar: Vanilla Bean Sugar

There are few things that I always have in my kitchen at all times to make verious recipes and good things from my kitchen. Infused sugar is one of those things that is easy to make and easy to store and use.My favorite has to be vanilla sugar using one of the most expensive spices second to safron. I have even used vanilla sugar in my coffee from time to time for something a little different.

It is very easy to make,all you need is 2 ingredience.

Vanilla Beans
Sugar
Mason jar for other air tight container

Fill you jar with sugar
Split your vanilla bean and scrape out the seads and place them in the jar.
close the lid and shake to distriblute the seeds and the sugar.
cut the remaining beans and place in the jar.
seal the lid and place in a dark place, a cupboard will be fine.
let sit for week or so to infuse the flavors
Now its ready to use!

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Recently I decided to make cupcakes for my soon-to-be Sister,Melissas' Bridal shower.I really havn't made cupcakes in a while, but since thay are all the rage and I wanted to try out a new Vanilla bean cake recipe I found,I thought it would be a great idea and something a little different.

Please look past the bad picture and the foil covered platter. It was a long week and I was recovering from a very nasty cold that knocked me out for a few day before.
The next picture is of the cupcakes at the shower. I really wished the picture had turned out better and that they were properly displayed, but they were a real hit.

The recipe I found for the cupcakes was a homemade recipe that uses ingredience you may already have in your kitchen. The frosting was the frosting I used in the previous post for the Mocha Chocolate cake and the little pink flowers are made of fondant that I left from a Birthday cake I made a few weeks ago.

Vanilla Bean Cake
Dry Ingredients:

2 3/4 cup flour

1 3/4 cups Vanilla bean sugar (vanilla bean infused sugar)or regular is fine

2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter

5 egg whites

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons Vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond ( I didn't have Almond extract,so I used Lemon)

Cream Butter.
Add eggs(whites) one at a time till combined
add milk~vanilla~almond or Lemon flavoring
Fill two 8 in rounds, greased and floured
325 deg. to 350
bake 20~30 min

*Fill cupcake tins lined with cupcake papers
bake for aprox. 25 min till lightly browned and if you touch the tops it will be firm.

10 Things I can't live without in my kitchen!

10 best ingredients in my kitchen
There is always some products that you use every time you cook and bake in your kitchen. Some gadgets that you cannot live without, some essential things that you absolutely adore.
Here are the best 10 ingredients, products that I use all the time and almost everyday. Without them, I would be nothing in a kitchen.

1. Sea salt. This is the only salt
that i use for cooking. Coarse and fine, both
2. Cinnamon.It goes well with almost every sweet treat.
3. Herbes de Provence. A french dried mix of herbs that is amazingly fragrant and versatile.
4. Extra virgin olive oil. That is the only oil that i use all the time.
5. Heavy cream. For finishing the soups, the sauces, the pastas, the salads.
6. Cheeses. All kinds. I use the leftover scraps of cheeses in soups, on a pizza. I never throw away cheese.
7. Vanilla Sugar.I make this by adding vanilly beans to granulated suger.
8. Parmesan cheese. As a garnish on salads, pastas, soups, as well as in cubes for an easy tapas.
9. Ice cream. It is always an indispensable to make a last minute dessert.
10. Butter.Butter.Butter! Do i have to say more ...