Bourbon Desserts by Lynn Marie Hulsman

Author:Lynn Marie Hulsman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky
Published: 2014-07-04T16:00:00+00:00

My Two Cents about Real Vanilla

Chocolate steals the limelight as the flavor that turns grown women weak and tames tough men into pussycats. I’ve never understood the second-banana status of vanilla, though. Some people view vanilla as a flavor void, as if vanilla ice cream or yogurt or pudding equates with “plain.” I object! Excellent vanilla beans or extract offers a multilayered flavor that’s impossible to compare with any other. Earthy, nutty, fruity, spicy, and rich, pure vanilla is in a class by itself.

High-quality vanilla beans are redolent of tropical aromas known only in the fertile rain forests of places like Costa Rica, Tahiti, or Hawaii, the best-known homes of the aromatic flavoring.

There’s no denying that a bottle of good-quality vanilla extract has its time and place, but it’s not in the same league as a fragrant, oily bean.

Keeping vanilla sugar on hand is the brilliant trade secret of successful home cooks. Simple to make, the labor and cost of concocting this top-shelf ingredient are well worth the labor and cost of concocting it.

Homemade vanilla sugar sits on the shelf beautifully for ages, is very easy to put together, and can be made with the bean pods left over from other recipes. Substitute it spoon to spoon for granulated sugar, and bask in the effect its presence has on your guests.

BUY THE BEST BEAN

The price of a single vanilla bean might turn your hair white, but remember this: one singular bean imparts a huge amount of fragrance and taste, so the cost per use winds up being quite economical.

I suggest buying beans at specialty stores and gourmet kitchen suppliers, because constant turnover ensures that you’ll get fresh beans. Only buy beans that have a pungent aroma and an oily sheen on the outside portion of the pod. Inspect the beans for off-odors or mildew. Check packaging for signs of damage or age. Don’t pick up the ones with faded labels, water damage, old expiration dates, or broken seals.

VANILLA SUGAR: MADE PURE, WITH LOVE

Put two cups of sugar into a large mixing bowl.

Rinse a vanilla bean under cold water, and cut it in half lengthwise. Using the tip of a sharp knife, open the bean like you would a pole bean. You’ll see the sheeny, dark black seeds that look like caviar, and are nearly as precious. Pressing the bean flat against a cutting board, scrape out the seeds with the knife’s blade.

Crumble the seeds into the grains of sugar using your fingers. The more pressing you do to release the oils, the more fragrant your sugar will be.

Coarsely chop and place the empty pods into a clean, sterilized jar and cover with the enriched sugar, leaving a half-inch or so of space at the top. Seal and store the jar in a cool, dark place, such as the pantry, larder, or cellar. Every couple of days, roll and shake the sugar to help the vanilla oil mix with the sugar.

After 10 days, start enjoying your vanilla sugar in recipes, stirred into coffee, or sprinkled on oatmeal or cream of wheat.

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