New Year's Day Eggs

Our first eggs of the year.  My photography does not do justice to the brilliance of the blue egg that was laid by one of our hens.  One of the lovely eggs was used for the Sweet Potato Caramel Cakes by One Haute Plate.  I substituted one whole baked sweet potato for the canned sweet potato called for in the recipe and also used my vanilla scented turbinado sugar for both the cake and the caramel.  They are delightful little cakes (shown below, dressed in -- yes-- a princess cupcake liner) and I think they would pair well with a stabilized whipped cream topping, as they are tender and light.



A Repurposed Bean

A vanilla bean is a special treat in my kitchen.  I do my best to be mindful of our food resources, so an ingredient that can do double duty is a true gem.  If you'll recall the Winter Solstice Brew from a few weeks back, this vanilla bean was one of the key ingredients.  After a short rinse and drying overnight, the vanilla bean was ready to be added to turbinado sugar.  It's flavor will infuse the sugar just in time for some special cookies I have planned for Valentine's Day.  Sweets for my sweet.