Vanilla Sugar
Making your own vanilla sugar is easy. Just put one whole vanilla bean in a quart jar with a lid, and fill with sugar. the longer it sits the more flavor. Just replace the sugar you use, and you’ll have a constant supply.
EXCELLENT tip and post mmchummel…thanks for this post!
Regards,
B-man 
Here’s another version:
Cut the vanilla bean in 3 pieces, and leave in the sugar for at least a week - preferrably longer.
Pour sugar and vanilla in the foodprocessor, and run till nicely powdered.
Use to flavour cakes, desserts, homemade ice cream, yoghurt etc.
For a standard size cake 1 - teaspoons is enough. Cut the sugar in the recipe a little bit, and omit the liquid vanilla.
QuDee