Edible Christmas Gifts - Vanilla Essence

I don’t want to alarm anyone but… there is exactly one month to go until Christmas. 4 short weeks which may not leave you enough time to get the perfect Christmas gifts for the special people in your life. So Carine is here to help! Instead of frantically hitting the shops last minute, plan ahead and make some of your presents this year. And what could be better than a home-made gift? 

A home-made gift you can eat!

This week we are going to show you how to make Vanilla Extract. It is incredibly simple, looks lovely, and will end up being a genuinely useful thing for all your family and friends who like to bake or cook.

Below are some examples of the vanilla extract you can get in the supermarket. Even the cheapest is over a pound and you only get a measly 35ml – we are going to show you how you can make more than 5 times that for a fraction of the price. We suggest you make this for multiple friends and family members to keep the cost down even more.

What you need

1) Glass bottle – You can go for any size. We have chosen to go for 200ml, as it looks a little more expensive and generous- but you can always make multiple little bottles or whatever you feel like. A 200ml bottle can cost you as little as 73p, like the one we found here, or as much as £2.90 and higher, if you go for a decorative or novelty bottle like this adorable Christmas tree one. 

2) Cheap vodka – And we do mean cheap, the cheapest you can find – we’re going for alcohol here rather than flavour, the flavour will all be from the vanilla.

3) Vanilla Beans – These don’t have to be expensive, but they can be when you buy them in the supermarket. Instead, buy them online where you can find deals like this – 20 beans for less than a tenner (that’s around 50p per bean!) And with these you can make 10-20 bottles.

Method

1. Pour your cheap vodka into your bottle until it is three-quarters full.
2. Slice your pod in half and scrape out the seeds.
3. Add the seeds to the bottle.
4. Add the pod itself.
5. Do this with 2 pods, if you’re feeling super-generous.
6. Fill up to the top with the rest of the vodka.
7. Close the bottle and leave for 4-6 weeks – the longer the better really – shaking the bottle gently every day.

Carine's Vanilla Essence after 2 weeks.

And that’s it really! Add a bow and pop it in a cellophane bag or nice box and there you go – a quirky, thoughtful, useful Christmas gift. So put down the cheap perfume/cufflinks and get on with it!

And to watch Carine do it herself, head to our YouTube channel!