Vanilla

There are a few ingredients that I feel are super important to splurge on and buy high quality. One of those ingredients is vanilla. Spending a little more on the vanilla will take desserts from good to great. I realize that in these tough economic times, its not always possible to buy high quality for every single ingredient. I compromise and buy certain things generic and usually that helps me balance out the cost. For example, i often buy generic brand flour and sugars.

I thought I would share my two favorite vanillas that are a staple in my pantry. The first vanilla is my standard go-to vanilla. Its the Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract. You can usually find it at specialty cookware/baking stores. I usually buy mine at Williams Sonoma or King Arthur Flour. The 8 oz. bottle pictured below lasts for quite some time and comes in around $20. There are usually three types of vanilla: mexican, tahitian, and madagascar bourbon. I prefer the madagascar bourbon for its traditional and sweet flavor but its all personal preference.

 

The second vanilla that I use and probably my favorite is the Sonoma Syrup Co. Vanilla Bean Crush Extract. This extract is a combination of madagascar bourbon and tahitian vanilla with vanilla bean seeds. As you can imagine with the vanilla bean seeds in the extract, it is very strong. I use this most often in recipes where the vanilla should really stand out. For example, this extract makes for an outstanding homemade vanilla bean ice cream. I purchase this from King Arthur Flour and it runs about $20 for the 8 oz. bottle. You can see in the picture below all the seeds on the side of the bottle...yummy!