For my baking fans... Extract time

I love making my own extracts. They make every thing taste so much better.
For the month of April, it is going to be a Hazelnut Journey. I am going to post different recipes and baking adventure with this new extract...

Here is the recipe for Hazelnut Extract...

What you need:

1 cup Hazelnuts (toasted, skins removed)

1 vanilla bean

3/4 cup vodka (any kind)

Mason jar or cute jar with lid.

½ cup sugar
1/4th cup water

TIPS:

You will need to split the vanilla bean almost all the way.

Direction:

Toast the hazelnuts in the oven at 175C/350F for 8-10 minutes or until fragrant.

While still hot, transfer them into a jar with vodka.

Add the innards of the vanilla bean along with the vanilla bean to the jar.

Let the flavors infuse for 3-4 weeks in a cool, dry place.

The color of the extract will darken with time.

At the end of 3-4 weeks, drain the hazelnuts from the extract and reserve the extract.

Crush the hazelnuts up and push it through a sieve to remove every last bit of flavor.

In a saucepan, heat the sugar and water together.

At this point, adding the crushed hazelnuts is optional, but I went ahead and did it,

just so I extract every ounce of flavor from it.

Bring the sugar syrup to a boil

(and strain it, if you’ve added the crushed hazelnuts to it in the step above)

and add it to the hazelnut extract mixture.

You can now discard the crushed hazelnuts.

Shake it up and store

***I now store mine in the refrigerator

Hope you enjoy. Also let me know if you want me to come up with the best extract you can make at home.

Easter bunnies

So the easter bunnies live at my house. The loved when i set up this little area because i gave them a lot of treats. I really love these babies.

Yes that is their stuffed squirrel with bunny ears on. 
They love squirrely.
Does anyone have any cute picture ideas? I want to put my wedding dress on and have the bunnys sit by me and someone take a picture.

bun love

My buns are now together... they run, jump and snuggle together... I rearranged the room for them. So there beds are right next to eachother. They also have a little ledge to jump on right next to the window. Ru loves to look out the window. =) I have also made these cool name pictures for their room. I am also in the process of drawing a tree on the wall and some of the branches will be shelves. I captured a picture of them eating hay together. It is so cute. They have their own area for the hay and potties, and water. They are the most spoiled fur babies. I love them so much. Well that is it for tonight. I will post pictures of the tree and name pictures when they are done.