Yes, it’s that time of year already. Whilst the first leaves of autumn will have barely landed on the damp grassland, our thoughts will have already turned to those winter months and one specific date in December in particular. Soon, town centres will be bustling with Christmas shoppers, fridges and freezers will be stocked and the shops will be blaring Christmas hits.

Yes Christmas really does have a tendency to creep up on us and this year, we can expect nothing less. But amid the mad rush, the endless lists and the festive greetings, it is always worth it and before you know it you will be packing away the decorations for another year.

Festive Cheer Will Soon Be Upon Us

It is these familiar duties, rituals and traditions combined with the sights, sounds and smells that really make Christmas. So, why not venture into the variable world of vanilla and create a whole new palette to celebrate your Christmas. The distinct flavours that vanilla brings to dishes, drinks and delicacies will have you making it part and parcel of your recipes for Christmases to come.

Top Vanilla Ideas

It’s important that you buy only the best vanilla pods/beans, vanilla extract and vanilla powder around so be sure to source from a specialist supplier.  Sweet and subtle, there a hundreds of festive recipes out there for you to discover and with our help, we will introduce you to just a few of these perfect for the winter months.

#1 – Vanilla-Glazed Swirl Cookies

The beauty of these simple cookies is the variety of the glaze, with vanilla being a stand out favourite. Simply knead ½ batch of cookie dough and fit with disks to create a ‘swirled’ shape. Place the shapes on a baking tray and bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes.

Prepare your vanilla glaze before dipping in your cookies and leaving to set before serving.

#2 – Vanilla Bean Spirtz Wreaths

The German markets are synonymous with Christmas so bring the flavours of ‘Deutschland’ to your kitchens. Derived from the German word “spritzen” (to squirt), the cookie wreathes can be quickly pressed and decorated.

Utilising 3 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 2 vanilla beans (halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved), 1 cup plus 4 teaspoons sugar, 3 sticks unsalted butter and 2 large egg yolks, simply add the vanilla beans into your mixture and discover a cookie taste you will remember for years to come.

#3 – Vaniliekage Christmas Cookies

A Nordic-inspired recipe, bring the sweet delights of Scandinavia to your cooking with these baked goods. They are sure to be a festive favourite and a recipe of 250g caster sugar, 500g sifted plain wheat flour, 375g cold butter,1  egg and 2 vanilla pods is all that is needed to make a batch of 80.

Split the vanilla pods lengthways, scraping out the seeds before adding into a caster sugar and butter mixture. Bake for 7 minutes at 200 degrees / Gas Mark 6 once you have shaped as desired and allow to cool for a crunchy festive feast for the whole family.

Phil Warrington, an experienced baker, looks at festive cookie ideas using vanilla. He recommends using only the best, purest and freshest vanilla pods around so check out VanillaMart; and established supplier of vanilla pods, vanilla extract and vanilla beans.

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 Posted by Charlotte on November 13, 2013 Being a Mother  Add comments

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