Instructions: How to make flavored sugar

Flavored sugars are best made with granulated sugar. Place flavoring ingredients in the bowl of a coffee grinder used specifically for spices. Add 1/2 cup of the sugar and grind until fine. Pour the mixture into a bowl and grind the rest of the sugar. Add that to the bowl and stir. Store in an airtight container. The mixture will keep for 3 months.

If you want to give the mixture a little more texture, grind all the flavoring ingredients with a small amount of sugar. Then add that mixture to the rest of the sugar, which is left unground. Allow the flavors to blend at least 1 week.

How to make colored sugar

To color sugar, simply add gel or paste food color drop by drop to sugar in a zip-top bag. Start with 4 drops and increase the amount depending on how deep you want the color. Zip the bag and rub the sugar until the color is evenly mixed. If the sugar seems too damp, spread it evenly onto a cookie sheet and put in a 175 F oven for at least an hour, until dry. Store in an airtight container.

Note: Ateco and Spectrum both make gel food coloring that can be squeezed drop by drop into the sugar. Find these products at stores that sell cake-decorating supplies, or a kitchen shop.

Suggested combinations:
Lavender: Grind 1 tablespoon of leaves and buds of English lavender with 1 cup granulated sugar. (Find the lavender at an organic nursery such as Redentas Garden or Sticks and Stones Garden Market. Do not use lavender that is sold for making potpourri.)

Uses: Add to a cup of hot Pekoe tea or sprinkle on warm cookies.

Vietnamese Mint and Lime: Grind 10 Vietnamese mint leaves with the zest of half a lime with
* cup granulated sugar. Stir this into 1* cups granulated sugar. (You can use any type of mint, or try it with basil leaves.)

Uses: Use as a dip for fruit, add to iced tea or use in place of plain sugar in a sugar cookie recipe.

Lemon Spearmint: Grind the zest of 1 small lemon, 10 spearmint leaves and 1 cup of granulated sugar.

Uses: Add to hot or iced tea.

Chocolate: Finely grind 1 tablespoon cocoa, a tiny pinch of salt and 1 cup granulated sugar.

Uses: Stir into coffee or cappuccino. Sprinkle onto warm cookies or oatmeal.

Orange-Orange Geranium: Grind three 1x1/8-inch strips of orange zest, 3 orange geranium leaves, 6 drops orange gel food coloring, a pinch of saffron and a little granulated sugar. Stir into at least 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar. The saffron helps soften any sharpness from the orange flavors.

Uses: Substitute for sugar in an orange muffin or pound cake recipe. Use in herbal tea or serve with fresh fruit.

Holiday Spice: Grind 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg and 1 cup granulated sugar and 12 frozen cranberries (optional) until fine.

Uses: Sprinkle onto oatmeal, a warm coffee cake, buttered toast or coffee.

Red Hot: Grind 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 15 drops red gel food coloring and 1 cup of granulated sugar.

Uses: Sprinkle onto warm sugar cookies, stir into a cup of coffee or serve with fresh fruit.

Blue Vanilla: Grind the seeds of half a vanilla bean, 6 drops of blue gel food coloring and 1 cup of granulated sugar.

Uses: Substitute for sugar to make a truly blue blueberry muffin recipe; sprinkle onto buttered toast or oatmeal.

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