Vanilla Sugar / Powder

Years ago my Wife, Sister, and Mother returned from a shopping trip to the city with Vanilla powder. We used it on lots of things, anything to which you wanted to add vanilla but did not want to add liquid. We dusted it on things primarily, like cupcakes, brownies, etc.
We can't buy vanilla powder locally, but have to get it from Kansas City, so I attempted to make some.
Ingredients were corn starch and dextrose and vanilla. I mixed corn starch and dextrose (from the local bulk store) together and added vanilla bean pods (after I scraped the vanilla bean seeds from the pods for some other recipe). I really like the vanilla powder. I made up several quart jars and gave them away. Mom quickly says, "no, no, we are okay on vanilla powder" when I try to give her some, so I don't know if she doesn't like it or really has plenty. Haven't heard from anyone else. Admittedly it isn't something to get really excited about, and the 2 quart jars we kept have lasted for a few years. I mean, you use a tablespoon or so at a time (sometimes just a fraction of a teaspoon) so it last a looonnnggg time.
I really like the vanilla pod flavor. It's very "natural" tasting, in that all you really get is the vanilla without any carrier.
I think if I was doing this all over again, I would just get a pint jar of powdered sugar and add my spent vanilla pods. No real reason to mix corn starch and dextrose, unless you want to tone down the sweetening.
We also add vanilla pods to granulated sugar--really nice in coffee or when you want to dust with granulated sugar.
Anyone have any experience with vanilla powder or vanilla sugar?

Wedding Reception Cake

 

Here is my pixie making a wedding reception cake this summer. Hours of work and attention to detail. We usually bake the cakes a day or two ahead of time, wrap them in plastic and freeze them. Makes decoration day go easier since you do the hot work ahead of time and have the kitchen cool to decorate, and because you divide the work between the days. Also, the cakes don't crumb off as easy, making it easier to apply icing. She is an artist with a piping bag. And doesn't she look lovely?

Gingerbread Castle

I made gingerbread in a mold pan. It looked pretty interesting but for pure eating enjoyment I think I would go with a more uniform shaped pan.
I expected the cake to stick pretty badly, but it came right out. It seemed to me that there was a lot of variability in the consistency of the cake, likely due to the odd shapes and differing thicknesses. It did look pretty interesting. I dusted it with vanilla powder that I made a long time ago (another post...).
I just printed out Nigella Lawson's Guinness Gingerbread recipe. Sounds yummy.