FABULOUS FLAVORED SUGAR

Older cookbooks often instructed readers to “put a vanilla bean in a jar of sugar and wait a month for it to flavor the sugar.” Who has that time now? These “almost–instant” flavored sugars are a boon to busy cooks and berry lovers. Just hull and slice a pint of strawberries, or use a pint of your favorite berries, or an assortment, and stir in one of these flavored sugars. Let the berries sit for 10 to 15 minutes for the sugar to dissolve and the flavors to blend, and you’ve got dessert. Mash some of the berries, if that’s your thing—some of us believe it makes berries taste better.

There are many ways to make these sugars, depending on the equipment you have. If you have a coffee or spice grinder, use it. It’s the best method, because you get the finest result—it grinds the spices most evenly and finely—and you’re making superfine sugar (which will dissolve most quickly on the berries) while you’re at it. Or put the flavoring ingredients in a mortar and pestle (I use a large one from Southeast Asia) and add half of the sugar for the pounding, then stir in the remaining sugar. Or, you can simply stir the ground spices into the sugar in a bowl.

If you’d like, use confectioners’ or brown sugar; confectioners’ sugar will make a slightly thicker syrup with the juices of the berries (because it contains cornstarch), and brown sugar adds a caramelish flavor. Consider a combination of flavors—like mint and lime, ginger and orange, or vanilla and lemon. I’m including serving ideas here using strawberries, but you could substitute a pint of any berry you choose. You can also use these sugars to flavor whipped cream or a cream and crème fraîche.