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I love the holiday season. Many recent evenings have been spent browsing Pinterest for holiday decorating and gift giving ideas. I’m such a sucker for homemade gifts that get all prettied up in festive packaging. Fancy ribbon, colorful tags, and cute jars – yeah, I’m pretty much smitten with it all.
Last year I made Homemade Vanilla Extract to share with family and friends. The extract was quite a hit, so I thought that I’d keep with the vanilla theme and whip up a batch of Vanilla Sea Salt.
If you have never used vanilla sea salt, you’ll want to rectify that immediately. It’s subtle flavor is absolutely perfect for a variety of sweet treats such as Sweet and Salty Brownies, Fleur de Sel Caramels, Bars and Chocolate Tarts. And you can even use it on savory items such as pan seared scallops and fresh lobster. Imagine vanilla flecked salt rimming your favorite margarita! So many possibilities with a little jar of salt!
Join Katie and I this week in sharing your favorite recipes that feature vanilla for a chance to win an incredible gift basket from Beanilla. Beanilla has been my go-to source for all things vanilla related for over 3 years. I am confident in saying their products are the absolute best that I have tried. Their entire line of beans, extracts, pastes, and powders will turn you into a vanilla addict!
Join in on the fun and link up your recipe for a chance to win a gift basket from Beanilla! You’ll also definitely want to check out Katie’s idea for a Homemade Vanilla Sugar Scrub.
Packaging Info
– The jars seen in the photos are Weck Mini Mold Jars.
If you have a Silhouette Machine and are interested in the shapes and fonts I used, here is the info:
– Snowflake Doily by Loni Stevens cut on light blue card stock with a 2.4 inch width
– Plain circle cut on white card stock with a 1.49 inch width
– Vanilla font is called Liorah BT, Sea Salt font is called Pharmacy
Vanilla Sea Salt
Ingredients:
1 cup sea salt
4 vanilla beans, split lengthwise and scraped, seeds reserved
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine sea salt and vanilla seeds. Use the tips of your fingers to rub the vanilla seeds into the sea salt until they are thoroughly combined.
2. Spoon salt into individual jars, cover tightly, label, and store in a cool, dry place.
Notes:
- Depending on how you package your vanilla salt, this recipe will yield 2-4 gift jars.
- I used Mexican Vanilla Beans to make my Vanilla Salt, but any type of high quality vanilla beans will do.
- Don't throw those empty vanilla beans away, make homemade vanilla sugar.
Adapted from CHOW
All images and text ©Follow Jamie on Instagram. We love to see what you're baking from MBA! Be sure to tag @jamiemba and use the hashtag #mbarecipes!
How To Participate
For a chance to win an Beanilla Gift Basket Gift Card {updated 12/5/11} valued at $150. Beanilla wanted to callow the winner to pick their own items, so the prize is now a $150 Gift Card! Woo-Hoo!
- Write and post a recipe on your blog featuring VANILLA OR VANILLA BEANS.
- Include “Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Beanilla.” in your blog post.
- No blog? Just leave your recipe in the comments section.
- Add your link to the widget on either GoodLife Eats or My Baking Addiction (we have the same widget code, so only add it on one site).
- Submit your post before December. 12, 11:59 PM.
- Anyone can participate in the link up, but the prizes will ship to US addresses only.
- More detailed info are available here.
Link Up Your Recipes:
Love any of the recipes featured in today’s Holiday Recipe Exchange? If so, be sure to to use the Ziplist Web Recipe Clipper to add your holiday favorites to your online recipe box.
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This Week’s Prize:
Beanilla Vanilla Gift Card valued at $150
Prizes provided by Beanilla.
Recipe Theme Schedule:
Never would think to mix vanilla beans in salt!
As for the giveaway, can I submit an older post? So long as I edit and include that phrase?
Erin-
Yep, that’s totally fine!
-Jamie
What a unique and beautiful gift! Thanks so much for sharing!
This is a great, quick, useful Christmas gift–I love it! Those are some wonderful suggestions on how to use vanilla sea salt, and I think I’d have fun coming up with more ways to use it :)
AAHHHH!! I LOVE Beanilla!! So much more affordable that grocery store vanilla beans.
Here’s a great recipe using both vanilla AND vanilla bean:
Vanilla Bean Buttercream
3 Sticks Butter (room temp)
1 Tbsp Vanilla (we use Mexican vanilla for a unique taste)
1 Vanilla bean (we use fresh Madagascar beans)
1-2 Pound bag confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Cream the butter on high, add vanilla and the “caviar” from one vanilla bean. Beat well. SLOWLY add the confectioner’s sugar with mixer on low, then pour in the whipping cream. As soon as the sugar and butter start to combine, turn mixer on medium/high and beat for 3 minutes. If it’s too thick, add a little more cream and if it’s too thin add a little more sugar. This is the best tasting buttercream EVER!
Vanilla sugar, with beans you’ve used for something else and rinsed and dried. Whenever I make vanilla ice cream, I rinse the custard off the pods and dry them, then put them in a jar and cover with sugar.
I make Silk Nog pancakes with extra vanilla for yummy flavor! Just make regular pancakes, substituting the eggnog for milk, and putting in 1 whole tablespoon of vanilla! super delish!
I love this idea!! So many uses,and the presentation is GORGEOUS!! I so need some of this in my life.
What a wonderful idea, there are so many great uses that I can think of for vanilla salt!
This is so awesome! Love this.