Cinnamon Extract – By Accident

Tags

bread, cakes, cinnamon, cookies, extract, food, recipe

The blogosphere has been plastered with DIYers making their own infused vodkas and homemade extract. I too have enjoyed making different variations of infused vodka. A few weeks ago I had planned to make cinnamon infused vodka using the same process. In a toddler-esque state I enjoyed dropping the cinnamon sticks into the container and accidentally lost count. Now, if I would’ve let it seep just a day or two and had cinnamon infused vodka. I love cinnamon, I really really love cinnamon. Red hots? Atomic Fire Balls? Bring it on… I wanted to continue my little experiment and make my infused vodka, a fiery cinnamon vodka.

After about a week I realized I just passed the phase of infused vodka and headed down the extract lane. I inadvertently crossed off something on my culinary to do list. I love using almond extract when I bake and I love using cinnamon. I’m not sure why I’ve  never thought of making cinnamon extract before. Cookies, cakes and bread… oh the possibilities to which I’ve unlocked the door.

Cinnamon Extract

Ingredients:
1.74mL vodka, 20 cinnamon sticks

Directions:
Add cinnamon sticks to vodka. Let soak for two weeks, stirring or shaking once a day. Remove sticks and strain before bottling.

The would make great gifts for any baker. I had fun using paper and my craft punches to make some cute labels.

What unusual item do you like to incorporate into your baking?

 

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Nanny Florida’s Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding

Tags

brunch, cinnamon, dessert, family, food, foodie, nutmeg, postaday2011, pudding, recipe, rice, tradition

We called my great-grandmother Nanny Florida, because she lived in Florida. When she cooked and baked, she didn’t record her recipes online on a blog, she wrote them on index cards and tucked them away in a small metal box. I inherited this recipe box and I was looking through the pudding section…

Nanny Florida's Recipe Box

She had three recipes for rice pudding, one to be served with cream, another to be served with wine sauce and a recipe for rice custard. I plan to try each of them eventually and them create my personal recipe. This one I’m calling Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding, since it had a classic flavor. Next time I might not let it bake as long.

Nanny Florida's Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding

Ingredients:
1 1/2 qt. milk, 3/4 c. sugar, 3/4 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/8 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 2/3 c. rice

Directions:
Butter a 3 qt. baking dish. Pour 1 qt. milk into baking dish, add sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Wash rice and add to dish. Bake in at 325°F for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes with fork. Pour in remaining milk and bake 1 hr, every 20 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and blend. Bake 30 minutes more. Serve with cream and a small pinch of nutmeg.

What family recipes do you treasure?