In the Sober Kitchen - Extracting Flavor
How to Make Vanilla Sugar

by Chef Liz Scott

Chef Liz Scott
Author of "The Sober Kitchen: Recipes and Advice for a Liftime of Recovery"

As we know from previous columns, baking extracts contain a good amount of alcohol and if we are the ones doing the baking, holding a bottle of open extract can be a bit like holding a hand grenade, particularly in the early stages of recovery. The sense of smell is an extremely strong trigger to memory, and in some recipes where the vanilla is simply added before serving, the taste of alcohol can be very prominent. There are a number of alcohol-free extracts now available which are glycerin based; Trader Joe’s makes one called Cookbook Vanilla. However, infusing granulated sugar with the flavor we are looking far can also be a perfect alternative to traditional extracts, which contain at least 35 percent alcohol by volume. Vanilla sugar is probably the best known of this type and makes a wonderful sweetener for fruit, coffee, or tea, as well as an alternative ingredient to regular sugar in many baking recipes. The secret is the aromatic vanilla bean, which infuses the essence of pure vanilla into anything it comes in contact with, minus the added alcohol.

To make vanilla sugar, pour a one-pound box of granulated sugar into an airtight canister and insert one or two whole vanilla beans. Close tightly and leave to infuse for about a week, occasionally shaking the container. After that, you will have ready-made vanilla sugar; as you use the contents of the canister, add more granulated sugar to replace it, because the vanilla bean will continue to flavor the sugar for up to six months. You can also add any used vanilla bean pods to this canister for additional flavor or consider starting a confectioners’ vanilla sugar canister for delicious dusting of cakes, tarts, and cookies. Be sure the used bean pod has dried completely, however, before inserting it into the sugar.

Although initially expensive to buy, vanilla beans are far more intense in flavor than extracts and can be used and reused in a multitude of dishes. Once you experience its delicious and fragrant essence, the vanilla bean will become a welcome addition to your recovery cooking. Here’s just one recipe in which vanilla sugar can really add a new dimension to your cooking. When sprinkled on fresh fruit, sugar encourages the juices to exude, creating a terrific topping for everything from French toast to ice cream. And incidentally, this action called “maceration” by bakers and pastry chefs, is often done with an alcohol-containing liquid such as brandy or liqueur so in essence, our flavored sugar has covered all possible bases for sober cooking!

Classic French Toast with Vanilla Sugared Fruits

Traditionally, French toast is made from stale or “lost bread,” called pain perdu, and it was invented to make use of day-old baguettes. Consequently, the best French toast is usually derived from bread that has seen better days or will never on any day be enjoyed as a good-quality eating bread. Day-old egg-based breads are also good choices for making French toast such as challah, brioche, or even the Italian panettone which is popular during the holidays. If you need to speed up the “stale” process a bit, slice the bread the night before and expose it to the air.

Feel free to substitute any other seasonal fruit combination, such as peaches, nectarines, kiwi, or plums.

For the French Toast:

• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup milk (whole, 2 percent, or 1 percent)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
• Pinch of salt
• Twelve 1/2-inch-thick slices day-old French bread

For the Sugared Fruit Topping:

• 2 cups hulled and sliced strawberries
• 1 cup raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries
• 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and canola oil for the skillet

1. To make the French toast, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla sugar, and salt in a medium-size mixing bowl. Arrange the sliced bread in a single layer in a 9 x13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish and pour the egg mixture over them. Allow to soak for 8 to10 minutes, turning them over to absorb the egg mixture well.
2. To make the sugared fruits, combine the berries in a medium-size mixing bowl and sprinkle the vanilla sugar over them. Fold carefully to coat and refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Heat a heavy skillet or griddle over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with a drop or two of canola oil. When melted and hot, place 4 of the soaked bread slices in the skillet and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Continue with the remaining butter and soaked bread, transferring each batch to a warmed platter and adding another tablespoon of butter and a bit of canola oil.
4. When ready to serve, spoon the sugared fruits over the French toast, dust generously with confectioners’ sugar, and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Chef Liz Scott’s first book, The Sober Kitchen, received the National Health Information Award for Patient Education Information and the Independent Publisher Book Award in Health, Medicine and Nutrition. She is the recipient of the Research Society on Alcoholism’s 2004 annual Journalism Award and has been recognized by the Johnson Institute in Washington, D.C. as one of the eight American pioneers and innovators in the field of addiction recovery. For more info: Chef Liz is currently working on two books, including one on “mocktails”, alcohol free libations. She is a coveted speaker for The Alliance for Recovery and has an ongoing segment “In the Sober Kitchen” on RECOVERY Coast to Coast radio, which airs Monday-Friday 10 PM Pacific time on Clear Channel Radio AM 850 KHHO-Seattle, WA and streamed live during show hours. To hear Chef Liz, go to recoverycoasttocoast.org.