Vanilla Sugar - Help!

[Mr. Bloom]

Well, i just found an imperial recipe on the 'net using virtually similar ingredients!

The Stress! The Stress! I can't take it anymore!

I feel like Papa from Breaking Away:
Papa: What is this?
Mama: It's sauteed zucchini.
Papa: It's I-tey food. I don't want no I-tey food.
Mama: It's not. I got it at the A&P. It's like... squash.
Papa: I know I-tey food when I hear it! It's all them "eenie" foods... zucchini... and linguini... and fettuccine. I want some American food, darnit! I want French fries!

[bmccasland]

You sure Papa said "darnit"?

So how did the muffins come out?

I have to admit, I broke down and bought a scale in my local office supply store - and my french frend gave me a measuring cup for liquid measures. Those two things makes life much easier, no more conversions.

[Mr. Bloom]

OK, the muffins were "OK", but dry...but every great recipe requires practice.

I don't have the original recipe, it was sent to me post conversion...

I made my own vanilla sugar using beans and the food processor.

LPH: I'll PM the address and reimburse your expenses.

[uk elephant]

Mr. Silver, I quite often have the "problem" of lacking vanilla sugar. Not a big deal. In an average sized cake or muffin recipie, just add a tsp of vanilla extract and skip the vanilla sugar. Turns out just fine usuall. And if I don't have vanilla extract (which here in britain is hugely expensive and only comes in tiny bottles) I'll use any random booze: a tsp or two of kalhua if it's a chocolatey recepie, a tsp or two of cognac otherwise, or a fruity liqueur if it's a fruity recipie.

[Crankin]

Mr. S, I was hurrying in the store today, to get just 2 things and I noticed a large supply of vanilla sugar packets in the area where the the cream cheese and other semi baking thing are kept. I never would have noticed it, before this thread.
This is just a regular grocery store, not even the biggest one I go to. But, we do have a large population of Europeans, especially from the UK, living around here. If you want me to mail some, let me know.

[tulip]

I often substitute Bourbon for vanilla, since I am a holdout for Really Good Vanilla and I never seem to remember to get some when I'm at the Fancy Food Store. And I always have Bourbon around the house

[Mr. Bloom]

This is just a regular grocery store, not even the biggest one I go to.

Review prior comment regarding "podunkville"

Smilingcat: Here are the original weight specs:

Lemon muffins:
175g butter, 160g sugar, 5ts vanilla extract, 4 eggs, 1 lemon, 12g baking powder, 325g flour, 5 tbs milk. Icing: 10tbs sugar, juice from 1 lemon. Bake at 355'F for 25-30 mins.

[Flybye]

Please send me a dozen muffins and I will do what I can to help you out
Congrats on the exchange student. I find irony in the word "exchange" in light of this thread

[smilingcat]

Review prior comment regarding "podunkville"

Smilingcat: Here are the original weight specs:

Lemon muffins:
175g butter, 160g sugar, 5ts vanilla extract, 4 eggs, 1 lemon, 12g baking powder, 325g flour, 5 tbs milk. Icing: 10tbs sugar, juice from 1 lemon. Bake at 355'F for 25-30 mins.

Thank you Mr. Silver,

Its bit puzzling to me though. Weights are definitly european/aussi/NZ but ts and TBS mixed in?? I was expecting to see ml or cc for liquid measurement. And the icing isn't it powdered sugar and not granulated? powdered sugar has corn starch. Regular sugar does not. And it makes a big difference when you make icing.

If the muffin came out dry you may need more butter and bit more lemon juice. Or use smaller eggs. Egg white tends to dry out cookies, muffin and cake. If I have time this weekend, I'll give it a try with the recipe.

And you did beat the eggs until it became a pale yellow ribbon before you added the flour, butter, sugar, baking powder, extract and the lemon.