Last week, I received these fresh vanilla beans as a gift from Nicole, a reader all the way in Madagascar!
I resisted the urge to bake thirty batches of the ultimate vanilla frosting, and instead decided to make some simple holiday gifts, because well, tis the season!
These vanilla sugar jars are ridiculously easy to make and practically last forever. They’re perfect for foodie gifts and look super cute when tied up with ribbons and fun fabric!
I love a sprinkle of vanilla sugar in my morning cup of tea, and it adds a little a little somethin-somethin’ to lattes and cappuccinos, too.
Try it sprinkled on gingerbread cookie dough right before baking!
And, all you do to make this special special sugar is just add a vanilla bean or two in a jar along regular granulated sugar.
Done and done.
You don’t have to make such a big jar as me, either. I like the idea of using recycled spice jars for this! Just grab some holiday ribbon and go to it. I get the majority of my ribbons and fabrics from Beverly’s.
Makes me wish I knew how to sew.
And, if vanilla sugar ain’t your thing, you can always give the gift of a gumdrop tree.
These things never go out of style, even though you may try to sell them at family garage sales for five dollars.
it’s the gift that keeps on giving.
{ 48 comments… read them below or add one }
Super cute gift idea!
Oh my gosh, vanilla is my favorite thing ever. I would so love vamilla from Madagascar. My friend once brought me some from Haiti and it was amazing.
haha, LOVE it and the gum drop tree. I definitely have a few of those laying around at my parents house.
LOVE making vanilla sugar. I just posted today about making vanilla extract from beans, in fact.
Wow, I’ve never seen actual vanilla bean. How interesting looking!
Classy
I love gumdrops!
When we left Bora Bora the chefs from our cooking lesson came running after our boat to give us tons of beautiful fresh (vacuum sealed) vanilla. I finally used the last of it last month, and boy was I sad!!!!
What a great gift! My aunt is from Madagascar and it’s amazing the food they make there. She loves everything hot, hot, hot!
Yum, I’ve never had vanilla sugar before. I’ll be on the lookout for some vanilla beans for sure. I love this gift idea!
This is such a great idea! I have a few people that I wasn’t sure what I was going to give… well now I know!!
I love this idea. What I wouldn’t give for some of those vanilla beans!
What an incredible gift from a reader. You must be overwhelmed with gratitude!!! Vanilla beans are worth their weight in gold — almost literally.
MMMMM love vanilla beans! Love homemade frosting!
Love both ideas.
How awesome! And I thought I was lucky getting sultans from England, after an Australian reader mentioned them in her comment and I said I didn’t know what they were. (fyi–I can’t tell them from raisins).
Oops, I meant sultanas!
I make my own vanilla all the time, but have yet to make vanilla-sugar…why?????
love,
cathy b. @ brightbakes
I would absolutely LOVE to get vanilla sugar as a gift.
Isn’t fruit cake the gift that keeps on giving? As in, most families regift the same brick year after year? I’d rather have vanilla sugar.
Jenna!!!
Hi!!! What kind of baking pan is that with the gingerbread cookies on it? I always see you using it and I am very curious!
that’s just a regular baking sheet lined with a Silpat! You can get silpats at any cooking store and they work basically as reusable parchment paper–highly recommend one!
I literally laughed out loud at the picture of the $5 gum drop tree. That’s just too much.
What a great idea!! Vanilla sugar!
And bahaha @ the tree. Love it
Wow, Madagascar? I really like the gift idea and the ribbon and fabric are the perfect “Little House” touch
Perhaps the sweetest of them all
yum! I hope to visit Madagascar some day…
This is so ironic…I was JUST writing a friend an email about maybe making my own vanilla extract, i.e. soaking vanilla beans in vodka for like 3 months and stirring daily and then straining. It sure is cheaper and no doubt tastes awesome, but I wonder if it’s worth the work. Seeing these vanilla beans of yours moments after i JUST sent her an email makes me feel inspired
I love homemade gifts and mason jars and ribbons….for sure, all of that stuff is the stuff of LOVE and is lovely!
great gift idea! any gift that involves mason jars and ribbons is a keeper in my book
Wow… that is SUCH a nice gift from a distant reader. Vanilla beans are super expensive… but make such a difference when baking with them. I definitely prefer them to vanilla extract. What nice readers you have
Great idea! If you are using a tiny jar for the sugar, can you cut a vanilla bean in half? I totally want to make these for some of my friends!
absolutely!
This is an awesome idea — I saw it in the whole foods online gift guide and I SO want to do this…now if only I had a Madagascar hookup
Fun idea and simple enough!
Vanilla sugar? Oh my gosh, I’m in love.
i’ve wanted to make vanilla sugar since i saw the barefoot contessa do it years ago…i love your idea to add it to a cappuccino though!
That is an amazing gift. Although I think I wouldn’t know what to do with all those vanilla beans!!
Very funny, Jennifer…..
Love vanilla beans.. I need to find some stat!
QUESTION: From your “an update” post.. where did you get that hat?
Great idea with the vanilla sugar! If you use a smaller jar, do you just cut the vanilla bean in half or something?
Wow! I can’t believe you received that gift from a reader in Madagascar!!! That’s amazing! Around me, Madagascar Vanilla Beans are a hefty price…for just 2!
Vanilla beans are always soooooooo expensive. You hit the jackpot, lady!
What a cool gift that she sent you!! And way to turn that into a great Christmas gift!
What a thoughtful gift!
Vanilla beans make the perfect gift!! I would love a bundle!
Jenna!!
I’m so glad that you liked them and could make gifts with them!!!
I’m a Canadian that has been reading Jenna’s blog FOREVER!!! I moved to Madagascar a year and a half ago and buy a lot of vanilla.
Its about 1/1000 of the price here as it is in North America.
A few months ago Jenna had wrote a post about vanilla and I thought that she should have the real deal!
Can’t wait to see what else you come up with!!!
Happy Holidays!!!
Jenna!!
Ak! I’m having comment posting issues today!! Let’s see if this one makes me through.
Glad that you enjoyed them and that you are making a gift with them!!
I’m a Canadian living in MG for a year and a half now and a Jenna-blog follower for at least twice as long.
After Jenna did a post on vanilla awhile back, I felt it was only fitting that she had the real thing to try!!!
Can’t see what else becomes of them!!
Happy Holidays!!
Those vanilla beans look beautiful! and must smell amazing!!
The vanilla beans look absolutely heavenly and I’m sure the aroma made it all the more plausible!
I’m on the look out for vanilla beans to make vanilla sugar now!
Gracie
That is such a great idea! Isn’t vanilla bean expensive though? I don’t have any readers from Madagascar lol.
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