Monday, April 4, 2011

Vanilla Bean Syrup


This is a horrible picture of something wonderfully delicious and something that has changed my morning routine!  I recently discovered that I can get fresh vanilla beans at my local Henry's for close to nothing - I got three beans for $1.27 because they charge per pound.  Since discovering this wonderful fact I have been loading up my life vanilla beans - I have a batch of homemade vanilla extract "brewing" right now along with a vanilla sugar that should be ready soon!  

The one thing that has transformed my life is this vanilla syrup, which used a vanilla bean pod that I had already scrapped for a cookie recipe, however you could make this with a whole unused vanilla bean pod.  This has also made my goal of cutting back on Starbucks even easier!  I add a dollop of this with my soy milk before heating - add a couple of shots of espresso using my stove-top espresso pot that I got as a gift a couple of years ago and I have a delicious and really inexpensive vanilla bean latte!  While I still get in a Caramel Macciato a couple times a week, these vanilla bean lattes have made almost made me a morning person! 

Vanilla Bean Syrup
1 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 used vanilla bean pod

Place water and sugar in small saucepan, heat until sugar is just dissolved.  Add in vanilla bean and heat additional minute.  Turn off heat and allow vanilla bean to seep in the simple syrup until room temperature.  Once cooled store in airtight container in the refrigerator - use as needed.

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