Some are born with the craft gene, others, like myself, struggle endlessly with the inability to create anything other than the perfect cocktail. However the holiday season always inspires me and from somewhere deep down I discover, however brief, that I too can be crafty. Join me each week for a look inside my deeply hidden crafty side as I explore those crafts that anyone can do, and everyone will enjoy receiving (because lets face it, no one wins when you give a less than perfect home-made gift).
Homemade Holiday guide to infused sugars
A few years ago infused oils were all the rage, a dear friend of mine, Leigha from Elle Oh, makes infused Vodka (yummy right?), however I stick with the instant gratification found in creating aromatic sugars which are perfect for lazy brunches, homemade pies and festive drinks. And when I say instant, I mean, cocktail dress on, leaving in 5 mins kind of instant…you can make them in under a minute and here is the proof:
The core ingredient here is granulated natural sugar, the finer the grain the easier it is to infuse with your natural ingredients. The ratio of sugar and ingredients depends on personal taste, and preparation method. If you mixyouringredients by hand tossing them, the aroma will be lighter, if you use a food processor to blitz them, the taste and aroma will be stronger. I will be dabbling with the below ingredients this year:
- Vanilla bean pod (can be blitzed or whole & tossed)
- Whole cloves (always whole & tossed)
- Star anise (can be blitzed, but looks so pretty whole & tossed)
- Cinnamon stick (whole & tossed as shown in video)
- Crystallized ginger (blitzed as shown in video)
- Dried edible flowers like Pansies, Roses, Geraniums and Lavender (always whole & tossed)
- Dried orange, lemon, lime, or grapefruit peel (can be blitzed, but looks so pretty whole & tossed)
Just caught your latest morning show appearance - lovely! I finally got the vodka recipes up on my blog. You have to try the fig and vanilla bean (I finally found dried figs and the vodka smells amazing). Love the ice cubes, too. Such a creative one!
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