Born of an orchid — oh, vanilla, how many ways are there to love you?
In shampoo, toothpaste, air freshener … and, yes, in food.
I think it is safe to say that we all love vanilla, for its heady aroma and its comforting taste. Vanilla has fans far and wide.
“I have three bottles of vanilla extract, seven vanilla beans, a jar of vanilla powder and a jar of vanilla bean paste. I love the pure and clean taste of vanilla; it is perfect without being overpowering, ” J.M. Hirsch, author of the newly released cookbook, “High Flavor, Low Labor: Real Food for Real Life,” told me recently.
His love of vanilla shines in the recipe for Caramel Streusel Apple Pie Cookies. Check out the recipe and read the rest of my column on vanilla.
Do you love vanilla?
The amazing and wonderful folks at Myspicesage.com are giving away some of their amazing vanilla beans to one reader of Life of Spice. All you need to do is leave a comment here about how you use vanilla AND either tweet this post or post it on FB.
Winner will be announced on March 1st, 2011 at 4:00 pm. US and Canadian residents only please.
Waiting to hear from you!!
{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
Love vanilla! Had no idea it came from an orchid!
Pudding, then I put the pod into sugar. Delicious!
Cookies, Cakes, Sauces. Anywhere I can.
Wow! Did not know Vanilla is an orchid, thought it grew on trees as a bean.
I use the vanilla essence for muffins and cakes. I also prefer to add them for custards. Love the subtle yet profound taste!
I like to use it in kheer (Indian rice pudding)
cakes, coffee, milk, umpteen possibilities… it is one ingredient thousand hundred uses…. Love the smell…
I use it to make home-made ice cream in the summer…Yum! I also use it in cakes!
I have posted to FB & will be tweeting too!
Vanilla is a universal, warm scent and flavor. I love to use it in my salted butter caramel’s. It adds so much and the vanilla specks are just beautiful!
My grandchildren LOVE my homemade vanilla bean ice cream. I also have a recipe for vanilla bean cookies…another big hit.
Love love vanilla. My favorite is a splash in my morning coffee….simple and perfection at the same time.
I love vanilla, store some in sugar, use it per daily baking or making desserts, sometimes a little swag behind my ear, make sugar cubes, keep it in jar with my rasberry – stevia- vodka, the sweetest thing in my fridge.
But I’m Danish, so I don’t a a chance to win, I’m a very sad old lady.
Yumm, vanilla! So delicious infused into the custard for ice cream.
I use vanilla in all sorts of baked goods, in puddings and even in some casseroles that I make. I like to use it in sugar and make vanilla extract from the beanpods and when I make candy, I use it as well. If you want to make your house smell warm and inviting, place a drop of vanilla on a lightbulb!
I happen to grow orchids and never knew……
And love to infuse things with the wonderfull bean !!
Made my first bottle of vanilla extract a few years ago. It was very good. Would like to try again.
During Passover, I place a split vanilla bean in a small jar, then cover it with potato vodka. I put it away in a dark cabinet with my Passover dishes, and the next year I have home made vanilla extract to use for my Passover baking.
Not to everyone’s standards of kosher for Passover ingredients, but it meets the standards I follow.
hi from canada. yes i love love love vanilla, and not only in my food. i love vanilla as room scent,in parfum….everywhere…. i’m addicted to vanilla.
right now i have a vanilla nut tea. yum.
Vanilla sugar and extract made at home = yummo
I’m not sure how to show that I shared this post on Facebook. Here is the url that pops up when I try to share:
http://www.facebook.com/ajax/share_dialog.php?s=99&appid=2309869772&p%5B0%5D=560391364&p%5B1%5D=194686263894234
Otherwise, my Facebook profile where I shared this is at:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=560391364
I use vanilla bean to make Vanilla Essence for friends and family, they keep bringing their bottles back to refill. The essence is used for everything that calls for vanilla.I keep a bottle brewing at all times.
mmm…I would make vanilla sugar!
I can’t bake without vanilla!
I use it in my stell cut oats oatmeal and also in my brioche filling!
That’s steel cut oats : )
I recently used vanilla bean in pastry cream to fill cream puffs. Oh man, was it good!
I use vanilla in everything. I love vanilla in french toast, all my baking and I even use it in my breakfast oatmeal.
I shared this giveaway on my facebook page. Thanks for this chance to win.
In addition to baking, custards, puddings and ice cream, I love making my own extract, then giving Homemade Vanilla Extract to friends as gifts for Christmas.
I keep trying to leave comments but not sure if I’ll ever win. But this group of vanilla sounds soooo interesting!
I love vanilla in any baked good, in coffee, in oatmeal and yogurt!
I put it in my homemade yogurt.
Oh, yummy! Choose me, choose me! I love vanilla bean in pudding and extract in all baked goods. Hubba!
If I can find a reason to use Vanilla I will! Baking, smoothies, oatmeal….just put a splash into my butternut squash smoothie!
Love vanilla! Pound cake and ice cream are two of my favorite ways to use the pods. And right now I have several pods steeping in vodka for homemade extract!
VANILLAA – Love to use it in all my baking needs..gives it such a warm flavor!!
I specially love to use it as vanilla sugar/orange vanilla custurd…aahhh it’s a long list.
P.S: Also tweeting about it!! Thanks!
Laviza wins! Please email me so that I can get this on it’s way to you!!