Sanding Sugar Blends

Sanding Sugars. Those tiny, sweet crystals that can add a little extra sparkle and depth to cookies.  Like many other cookiers, I have a slight addiction to sanding sugars and sprinkles. It doesn't take long to amass a generous collection of these miniature gems. 

Sanding sugars. Coarse sugars. Sugar pearls. Nonpareils and Sixlets. In every color imaginable. Not to mention metallic dragées and wide array of shaped sprinkles- from hearts to flowers, pigs to leaves. And before you know it, you have enough sugar toppers to sugar-coat every cookie you make for an entire year. And still have some sugar leftover. That can create a bit of a storage issue.

I store my sugars 'n sprinkles upside-down in Rubbermaid totes. It makes it easier to find what I am looking for. ​

Sometimes, though, I don't use the sugars straight from the bottle. I'll make specialty sanding sugar mixes for specific purposes. Let me show you some of my favorites.

Birthday Candle Mix
A mix of little yellow, orange, red, and clear

Salt 'n Pepper Mix
A mix of black and clear

Ruby Slipper Mix
A mix of clear, red, and silver (silver is the key!)

Beach Sand Mix
A mix of gold, brown (it's the CK brand- it looks like charcoal gray), yellow, and clear

Some sanding sugar tidbits:

* These little cups are great to store your sanding sugar mixes. They're great for salad dressings, and Jello-shots too! I found them at Wal-Mart next to the paper plates and plastic silverware.

* I buy my sugars from a variety of places. Best deals can be found immediately after the holidays when they go on clearance. Also, check local Amish/farmers markets.

* Look for multi-color bottles of sugar pearls and sixlets. Just pick out the colors as you need them. 

* Hold a sugar swap! Get together with some other cookie pals and share sugars. Use the little cups to take home your sweet stash. Not only will you save on storage, but you'll save money too!  

Hopefully I have inspired you to put some of those sugars to good use!