Lavender Vanilla Sugar

joythebaker — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 07:14:23 +0000

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

Print this Recipe!

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.

Joy the Baker Handmade Aprons

joythebaker — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:32:55 +0000

Aprons. Aprons. ApronsApronsAprons!

We made aprons. We bought the fabric. We cut the patterns. We sewed and stitched and sewed and stitched and sewed and stitched about a million (ok… just fifty) times over. Maybe ‘we’ is a bit too liberal. My darling and most talented mother made each and every one of these aprons. Where I can work wonders with a spatula, she can work wonders with a sewing machine. Please don’t make me sew anything… I just make myself bleed.

So here’s the plan. I want you to have fun in the kitchen making Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls or whipping up a batch of Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes. I also want you to look cute, and feel pretty, and not be afraid to get in there and get some bakin’ done… even if that means dirtying every single dish and emerging from the kitchen covered in flour. Do it! I think a fun little apron might help.

For you pleasure, I’ve even made an Etsy store to showcase Joy the Baker Aprons. Sweeeeet!

All aprons are 100% cotton, one size fits darn near everyone… and bonus: each apron comes nicely wrapped for your gift giving pleasure. Supplies are limited. The fabric is flying.

My Mom took this picture with my cellphone. See? Proof of cuteness. Aaaaand… go!

Joy the Baker » gift

Lavender Vanilla Sugar

Joy the Baker Handmade Aprons