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Monday, June 18, 2012

Strawberries Tossed in Vanilla Sugar




Since peak strawberry season ends next month, I thought I would post another tasty strawberry recipe. This recipe is very simple to make, but it can be impressive - especially if you top it with the fresh whipped cream. The berries sit in the vanilla sugar mixture first for about a half hour, and the result is a very flavorful berry in an amazingly sweet juice. The vanilla just adds something so special to the strawberries. It's a little addictive, but that's ok - strawberries are good for you! I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. Enjoy!

Strawberries Tossed in Vanilla Sugar
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of strawberries, stemmed, sliced thinly & then cut in half
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Freshly whipped cream (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Place sugar in a medium bowl. Scrape the inside of the vanilla bean with the back of a small spoon to get out the beans, and then add them to the bowl and incorporate in to the sugar. Discard the vanilla bean. Add the sliced strawberries to the sugar and vanilla and coat them well. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Top with freshly whipped cream, if desired. Yum!
This also can be made ahead and put in to the fridge for up to 24 hours before serving.

NOTE: 
Vanilla beans can be very pricey at the grocery store, sometimes running as high as $8 - $10 per bean. Save money by buying in bulk. I was able to find 8 vanilla beans for $12 at Costco - what a deal! Make sure to call your local Costco store ahead of time to see if they carry the product, sometimes they are only sold during the holiday months.

*Looking for more strawberry recipes? Check out the chilled strawberry soup or the strawberry-balsamic sauce.

3 comments:

  1. What vanilla do you use. I found a deal on Madagascar bourbon and it smells very bourbony is that normal.

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  2. Hey Jenn! I use vanilla beans for certain recipes, and just use regular McCormick vanilla extract in cookies, cakes, truffles, etc. Not sure if it normally smells so much like bourbon, but I have used it & do remember it was quite potent smelling.

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  3. As a general rule, I would use lower-quality vanilla extract in things that will be baked. For things in which the vanilla is added in at the last minute (puddings, creams, etc), I would use a higher-quality vanilla. Someone recommended this brand to me - http://www.nielsenmassey.com/. Hear it's fantastic. Hope this helps.

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