Vanilla Sugar, Vanilla extract & Creme Fraiche

[arabi]

Many of my recipes call for vanilla sugar or creme fraiche, so I am passing these along in case you want to make some of the stuff I post:)

Excuse the lack of accents, I dont feel like switching my keyboard back and forth from French to English, LOL.

 

 

Vanilla Sugar:

(Sucre Vanille)

 

8 cups sugar

2 fresh vanilla beans

 

Pour sugar into airtight container and push the vanilla beans down into it. Let sit at least one week before using. Replenish the sugar as you use it, pouring out the sugar that is already flavored, adding new sugar to the container, and topping it with the flavored sugar. Replace the vanilla beans once every 2 months.

*You can also use dried lavender or dried roses for special sugars as well*

 

Vanilla Extract

 

To a wine sized bottle of vodka (500 ml?) add 2 vanilla beans that have been split lengthwise, exposing the tiny seeds. Shake daily. Ready in one week. Strongest after a month of infusing. Use tsp for tsp for store bought vanilla extract. Much cheaper too:)

 

 

Creme Fraiche

 

2 cups heavy (or whipping) cream; not ultra pasteurized.

3 tablespoons cultured buttermilk

 

Whisk the creme and buttermilk together in a medium sized bowl. Cover with a cotton tea towel and let stand in a warm spot (on top of fridge or on top of a gas stove with the pilot on) until it thickens, 8-12 hrs depending on the temperature. Cover the creme fraiche, and refridgerate it for several hours until completely thickened. Tightly covered and refridgerated it will keep for a week.

[Holly]

Yuuuum! I wish I could eat dairy-- I'd be all over anything with Creme Fraiche in it!