Vanilla Lemonade
Welcome to Foxes Love Lemonade! I’m (obviously) obsessed with the bright, tart taste of lemons, and I love freshly squeezed lemonade as well! Classic lemonade is just dandy, but in this summertime series, I’ll be coming up with new spins on my favorite cool-down drink.
I was having a bit of a creativity lull when trying to think up my next new lemonade recipe, so I started poking around my kitchen cabinets. I didn’t have to look very long before my eyes settled on a bottle of Nielsen-Massey vanilla extract.
I’ve long loved Nielsen-Massey products because I know they are the highest quality extracts available. I even give them as holiday and birthday gifts to the bakers in my life. While we all reach for vanilla extract when baking, I wanted to give this little bottle of extract some love in a beverage recipe, so I thought “why not vanilla lemonade?”
I’m so glad I decided to go this direction, as this might be my favorite lemonade yet (I know, I say that every time. But for real. But also, I still love mango lemonade, so don’t trust me). For this recipe, I started with a classic homemade lemonade using simple syrup (just a boiled mixture of sugar and water) and freshly squeezed lemon juice (it takes awhile to squeeze all those lemons, but it is SO worth it).
I “spiked” my lemonade with a teaspoon of Nielsen-Massey Organic Fairtrade Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract. This extract offers the same amazing flavor as Nielsen-Massey’s traditional vanilla extract, but is made with only certified organic and Fairtrade ingredients. The sweet, mellow flavor makes it ideal for cooking and baking.
For more information about Nielsen-Massey, please connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube.
Vanilla Lemonade
Ingredients
- 4 cups water, divided
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Organic Fairtrade Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- In small saucepot, stir together 1 cup water and sugar. Cook over medium heat 4 to 6 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Transfer to jar or container and refrigerate until completely cool, or up to 5 days.
- In pitcher, stir together lemon juice, vanilla extract, cooled sugar syrup and remaining 3 cups water. Serve over ice.
Disclosure: This was a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Nielsen-Massey. Sponsored posts help me pay for the costs associated with this blog (groceries…lots of groceries), and help support me as I pursue a career in recipe development and food photography. All opinions are 100% my own.