Celebrate a homemade Valentine’s Day this year with simple, thoughtful gifts and time spent together making memories.
Vanilla Sugar Recipe to Celebrate a Homemade Valentine’s Day
Long a favorite ingredient in European cookie recipes, vanilla sugar is making its way across the ocean! No doubt, it’s a popular ingredient for bakers as well as a flavorful addition to coffee and tea.
Although vanilla sugar is easy to find at many European grocers, that’s not true in the U.S. However, this sweet treat is easy to make at home and has a long shelf life.
Ingredients
- granulated white sugar
- vanilla beans (Madagascar, Mexican, Tahitian or Ugandan)
In short, the ratio of sugar to vanilla beans is totally up to you. Some recipes recommend two cups of sugar to the beans of one vanilla pod. However, you may want to try two cups of sugar to the beans of two or three vanilla pods. In any case, experiment and find what you like best. Of course, the amount of beans can vary from pod to pod and affect your ratio. And remember, you’re looking for plump, moist vanilla pods and beans.
Equipment
- food processor
- spoon
- jars and lids/rings
- cutting board
- paring knife
- kitchen scissors
Instructions for Making Vanilla Sugar for a Homemade Valentine’s Day
- Begin by pouring sugar into the food-processor cup or bowl. The amount of sugar you use will depend on the size and number of jars you’re filling. With this in mind, fill the processor cup or bowl no more than two-thirds full. You want to give the sugar and vanilla beans plenty of room to blend. In addition, you want to be able to shake and mix it by hand, too.
- Now slice a vanilla bean open lengthwise on a cutting board.
- Then scrape the seeds out of the open pod and drop the clumps in with the sugar.
- Finally, secure the lid on the food-processor cup or bowl. Now give the mixture just two quick pulses. Any more and you will likely end up with powdered sugar.
- After that, scoop the vanilla sugar into clean, dry jars. Fill a jar about one-third full of sugar. Then snip several smaller pieces of vanilla pod on top of the sugar. Repeat until the jar is full and seal tightly. If you’re using larger jars, you can simply stick larger pieces of vanilla pod into the sugar. (Pieces of vanilla pod are great for infusing sugar but should not be placed in beverages or baked-goods recipes.)
- Now let the vanilla sugar sit unopened for a week or two for the flavor to deepen. Then it’s ready for gift-giving or use at home!
Gifts to Pair With Vanilla Sugar
Sweeten your vanilla sugar gift with the addition of Bronner’s etched stainless steel mug or Bronner’s logo ceramic coffee mug. What’s more, you can save 14% off most purchases of $14 and more at Bronner’s the entire month of February! The discount applies both in-store and online.
Heart Bird Feeders Celebrate a Homemade Valentine’s Day
Indeed, this DIY is for the whole family to enjoy! Older children can mix and form the bird feeders. Then the little ones can make the hanger hole in each birdseed heart and hang them outside.
Supplies
- cookie sheet
- parchment paper
- heart-shaped cookie cutter (mine was about 2 1/2 inches wide)
- cooking spray
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- tablespoon from your silverware set
- teaspoon from your silverware set
- mixing bowl
- mixing spoon
- 2 cups birdseed
- 1/2 pkt. unflavored gelatin (1 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1/4 cup of water
- 3/8 cup of flour
- chopstick
- ribbon or twine
Instructions
- Begin by combining the birdseed, gelatin, corn syrup, water and flour in the mixing bowl. Spray the mixing spoon with cooking spray and mix the ingredients in the bowl.
2. Next, line the cookie sheet with parchment paper.
3. Now spray the spoons and inside of the cookie cutter with cookie spray.
4. Then use the spoons to snuggly fill the cookie cutter with the birdseed mixture, smoothing the top. Poke a hole for hanging using a chopstick. Repeat five more times. Spray the spoons and inside of the cookie cutter another time or two as needed.
5. Finally, let the hearts dry overnight. Then string with a pipe cleaner, twine or ribbon and hang outside. (I personally prefer a pipe cleaner.) Place in a protected area if you are in a location or season where you are receiving rain.
If you’re looking for a lighted heart decoration that makes a maximum statement, try Bronner’s. Without a doubt, our double heart lighted ornamental and LED heart with arrow ornamental fit the bill. These window silhouettes, after all, will light up the night both inside and outside your house!
And the kids will do a happy dance when you help them make this adorable penguin Valentines box. Lots of love all around!
