Vanilla Sugar

Vanilla Sugar is easy to make and adds a beautiful hint of sensual flavor to everything from pancakes to your morning coffee. It also makes a beautiful gift and a simple love spell.

Cutting back on food waste is a noble endeavour, but it's not always easy to do. Of course, the best thing to do is not to produce or buy too much food to begin with. We could severely restrict the things we cook and eat so that there's no waste, but that feels like a punishment. Some recipes just have unavoidable by-products, so what's a witch to do? Surely there's something magical we can use those ingredients for before they hit the compost bin.

Luckily, kitchen witchcraft is full of simple infusions of both flavor and metaphysical energy that can give ingredients a new purpose. Stems and peels can be dried and used in spell jars or charm bags, or sometimes even ground up and burned as incense. Juiced citrus rinds can be added to floor washes or simmer pots. Witches know that there's plenty of good energy to make use of, and we never want to waste it.

What makes Vanilla Sugar so awesome?

Vanilla Sugar is one of those super delicious ways to give new life to seemingly spent ingredients. It's nothing more than regular sugar infused with the flavor of vanilla, and all you have to do is stash your leftover vanilla pods in a jar of sugar. It seems almost ridiculous to even write a recipe for it. Vanilla is such a precious ingredient, I don't ever want it to go to waste, so I always save my pods in this way once the tiny specks of vanilla have been used up in something like homemade ice cream of a Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake.

You can use Vanilla Sugar anywhere you'd incorporate just a few spoonfuls of sugar. I like to use it when making hot chocolate or pancakes, but you could also add a spoonful to your coffee or tea to sweeten it. Sprinkle some over your oatmeal or dust a simple Victoria Sponge Cake in this sensual flavor. The possibilities are endless. It also makes a great little homemade gift for vanilla lovers.

Make it magical

Vanilla sugar is also a spell all its own. My first instinct is to use this as a love spell, as vanilla's sensual aroma is deeply romantic. I always believe you should only use love and lust spells with a willing partner, but if you wanted to mix up a libation with this sugar to share with your lover, I think that could be a lot of fun.

Add vanilla sugar to sweeten any spell, especially if you're trying to attract love, friendship, happiness, or beauty. Add it to spell jars or charm bags, sprinkle it around your property (indoors would probably attract ants), or use it in kitchen witchcraft. Gift it with magical intention to anyone you feel needs a mood boost.

For more details on the magical properties of vanilla and sugar, check the Kitchen Magick page.

Ingredients

Here's everything you'll need to make this recipe.

• Vanilla pods - make sure they're dry
• Sugar - caster or super fine sugar is best, but granulated sugar or golden sugar will also work great

Tips for making Vanilla Sugar

Okay, this is barely a recipe at all. Once you've split open your vanilla pod and used the tiny little beans in another recipe, simply add the remaining pod to a jar and cover it with sugar. Then when you get more used vanilla pods, add those as well. Top up the sugar and give it a good shake as needed. It's sort of a neverending little jar of deliciousness.

My one tip is to make sure that your vanilla pod is as dry as possible when you put it in the jar. The sugar will soak up any moisture and form clumps otherwise. This is not the end of the world as you can always break the clumps back down. It will just make your life a little bit easier. And if your vanilla pod doesn't fit neatly in the jar, just cut it into smaller pieces with scissors or a sharp knife.

Never throw away another expensive vanilla pod. Instead, make an endless jar of sweet and sultry Vanilla Sugar, then sprinkle it liberally whenever you get a chance.

Looking for more awesome giftable recipes? Try this Prosperity Spice Mix or Herbs of Protection Poultry Seasoning.

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