Vanilla Coffee Syrup Recipe: Vanilla Bean Dreams

 While plundering through the pantry last weekend I perceived a prize! A lone Vanilla Bean,  properly stored in a cool, deep corner.  Peacefully he rested, content in Vanilla Bean Dreams of muffins and ice cream - little knowing, or caring, that his fate lay instead as the foundation for not one but two culinary delights.

As I mentioned in my recent post "Farmhouse Signature Vanilla Iced Coffee", I have become a huge fan of iced coffees! The recipe in that post calls for Torani (TM) Vanilla Flavoring Syrup and the recipe makes an amazing glass of coffee.  I was sure that I had created THE perfect vanilla iced coffee...but isn't there always room for improvement. Yes. Yes there is.

Over the course of several days I have toyed around with several mini-batches, all based on simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water) and vanilla. Along the way I have adjusted the amount of vanilla and the type of sugar, always sparing the Bean. I knew that the syrup must be near-perfect before the Bean could be introduced for, as every kitchen artist knows, vanilla beans are quite pricey!

Each trial batch has yielded a good vanilla syrup - and several quart jars of good vanilla iced coffee. But I'm not reaching for good - I'm reaching for excellence!  I believe that excellence has been achieved today. Vanilla Bean Dreams that exceed my greatest expectation are coming to life now in a Mason Jar full of the best tasting beverage I've ever enjoyed.

I have poured a very "clean" iced coffee; this is coffee, milk, ice and Vanilla Bean Dreams Syrup. There is no ice cream, non dairy creamer or added sugar, as I don't want any taste interference. It is really good, with a complex flavor profile I have not found with prior recipes, and I attribute that to the specific ingredients used.

So without further ado...the recipe:

VANILLA BEAN DREAMS SYRUP 
     3 1/2 cups distilled water
     3 cups granulated sugar
     1/2 cup dark brown sugar
     1 vanilla bean
     3 tablespoons vanilla extract
Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds into a clean, pint mason jar.
Place bean pod into a medium saucepan along with the water and sugars. Cook over medium-high heat for approximately 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Mixture should come to a slow boil and become thick and syrupy. Cool completely and stir in vanilla extract. Fill sterile quart mason jar with cooled syrup, making sure to include vanilla bean. Cover tightly with lid; store in a cool place.

Vanilla Bean Dreams Syrup, in place of Torani's, brings Farmhouse Signature Vanilla Iced Coffee to a sweet crescendo, and should be a divine addition to milkshakes, yogurt, lattes...let your imagination run wild!

But wait...there's more! What about those vanilla bean seeds we painstakingly scraped out of the pod? Surely they won't go to waste?

Don't take your apron off just yet...we have one more thing to do!

BONUS!!!  

VANILLA BEAN DREAMS INFUSED SUGAR
     Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
     2 cups granulated sugar
Pour 1 cup of sugar into the pint jar containing the seeds scraped from the vanilla bean when the syrup was made. Cover tightly with lid and shake vigorously to incorporate the seeds into the sugar. When the seeds are quite evenly distributed add the 2nd cup of sugar, replace lid and shake again.
Allow the vanilla infused sugar to sit for a week or more, shaking or stirring occasionally. Vanilla Bean Dreams Infused Sugar can be used in place of regular, granulated sugar in tea or coffee, sprinkled over oatmeal, or as a topping for fresh fruit.

So there you go! Two lovely, gourmet-quality sweeteners from a single Vanilla Bean!   Packaged beautifully, this pair would make a darling birthday, holiday or hostess gift and what a perfect way to say "thank you...for making life sweeter!"

I would like to point out a few things about three of the key ingredients in the syrup recipe. In my trials I did find that these specific ingredients truly affected the flavor of the final product.

1) Distilled Water
Simply stated, water chemistry affects flavor. This recipe will call for sugar to be melted - we absolutely do not want the sugar to burn! After a couple of trials I realized that the mineral content of tap water is too high to get a clean syrup.  As the syrup boils down, mineral deposits from tap water form on the sides of the saucepan. The thickened syrup sticks to the deposits, forming a crust which blackens and burns around the edges. Using distilled water helps keep the syrup from taking on a burnt taste.

2) Dark Brown Sugar
While brown sugar makes up only a fraction of the sugar required for this recipe, it is a key component. The molasses in brown sugar adds depth and richness to the syrup and amplifies the vanilla.

3) Vanilla
For this recipe I layered the vanilla flavor by using both vanilla extract and vanilla bean.
*The vanilla bean enters the scene in the first act, releasing flavor as the syrup cooks down, and will remain in the finished syrup. The bean pod will continue to add essence as it lingers.
*Vanilla extract is added after the syrup has cooled. As extract is alcohol-based, adding it while the syrup is hot would allow the alcohol, and the vanilla flavor, to evaporate without fully infusing the syrup. And that would never do!

I hope you enjoy the Vanilla Bean Dreams recipes as much as i do! As always, your questions and comments are appreciated.

Until next time... 
Good night and, 

• Sweet Vanilla Bean Dreams!

PIN REVIEW: Homemade Moisturizing Lotion

Ahhh...PINTEREST, that delightful online corkboard for organizing and displaying pictures of the things that inspire us, has quickly become one of the hottest social media sites around. Users can upload, save and sort images (pins), follow other users and repin from their boards or directly from the internet. Categories include Food & Drink, Travel, Gardening, Education, and my favorite: DIY & Crafts.

But does that DIY stuff really work? Do the recipes turn out like the pictures suggest? I decided to do a test...

One of the recurring pin themes I've noticed on PINTEREST is homemade body lotion recipes. As an avid do-it-yourselfer and moisturizer hoarder collector, these pins got my attention! Today I have recreated one of the more common recipes so let's take a look at the ingredients, the process and the results!

While there was quite a selection to choose from, I elected to follow this guideline:
1 part Vitamin E Cream
1 part solid coconut oil
2 parts baby lotion

The process couldn't be much simpler: place the ingredients in a bowl and whip with a mixer until the mixture resembles fluffy, pink cake frosting. Store in airtight container (read: Mason Jar! )

Before we check out the results, let's take a look at the 'science' behind this recipe.

Vitamin E
According to THIS NBC news article, Vitamin E, applied topically, eases dryness by helping skin retain its natural moisture. It may neutralize damaging free radicals and reduce the unstable molecules present after exposure to cigarette smoke. For my lotion I used 4 oz of Vitamin E SkinCare Cream.

Coconut Oil
The benefits of coconut oil are being touted worldwide! An ARTICLE in the Farmer's Almanac  explains that coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, which makes it beneficial as an antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, and antibacterial. As a moisturizer, coconut oil speeds healing of flaking, cracked skin, prevents wrinkles, and helps in the treatment of eczema, psoriasis, and other chronic conditions. Coconut oil is a solid that quickly becomes liquid when subject to heat, and returns to a solid when cooled. I have used coconut oil as a moisturizer for skin and hair and I love it! For today's experiment I used 4 oz of pure coconut oil.

Baby Lotion
Baby lotion smells really good (that's personal opinion, not necessarily science)! I haven't done research on the individual components of baby lotion, but in my experience this mild lotion is appropriate for delicate skin. It absorbs quickly and hydrates well. The creamy formula helps stabilize the coconut oil in this recipe. I have used 8 oz of pink baby lotion in this trial.  

So what about the results? Is this Homemade Moisturizing Lotion that's popping up all over PINTEREST really worth the effort?

On a 1-10 scale I rate it a 10!

Finding the ingredients: 10!
All of the ingredients were readily available in my local super center.

Cost of ingredients: 10!
Supplies to make 3 1-pint batches cost less than $14 and I had both coconut oil and baby lotion left over.

Preparation/process: 10!
Total time including measuring, mixing & packaging was 9 minutes, 13 seconds!  I can live with that!

The finished product: 10!
Because the 16 oz of ingredients are whipped, there was enough finished product to fill a pint mason jar - and plenty left over to slather on! The lotion is thick, rich and creamy but goes on light as air. The skin is moist, with a soft sheen, but doesn't feel greasy. And the scent is delightful! I used the pink baby lotion this time around but I am sure I will try the others eventually.

Homemade Moisturizing Lotion Rates A 10! 

This PIN is a WIN!   

Have you made this lotion? Tweaked the recipe? I would love to read your comments and suggestions!

Down On The Farm

I'm just going to step out on a limb here and admit I've really stepped out on a limb here.

I've been crafting and 'making stuff' for as long as I can remember. I've always been the one who gives the Home Made gifts at birthdays and Christmas - sometimes because money was tight, but always because I want to give something personal. One year it might be embroidered hankies, the next, cookie mix in a jar. This year's gifts might come off the stove, next year's might come off the table saw.

Year after year after wedding after baby shower I always heard the same "Ooh! You should be selling these!" So I took that to heart, finally, and opened my shop on Etsy. I didn't spend hours in research & development.  I didn't gather together with my accountant and marketing consultants. I just did what I do, took pictures of it, wrote a little about it, and opened Ginson's Farmhouse Chic.

And now I drive a Porsche.

Not even. I still have to bathe the dogs and feed the livestock and cook & do laundry. And that's a good thing, because those are the things I love. Over the years I've learned a few tricks,  perfected a few dishes, and come across some really fun crafts.  Pour yourself a mason jar full of iced tea and join me...
Down On The Farm!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/GinsonsFarmhouseChic