Application Guide

doughs with fresh and dried fruits.
Some bakers make their own blend of extracts. There are
many instructions, too, for making your own vanilla extract by placing the
beans in brandy or vodka. I have never had great luck with this, as it takes
lots of beans (one to three are just not enough) to get anywhere near the in-
tense flavor of a premium vanilla extract.
Vanilla Powder
Powdered vanilla, which is very popular in Europe, is made by spraying rib-
bons of vanilla onto sheets of dextrose in radiant ovens. It is creamy white
instead of the brown color associated with the extract and bean. It is avail-
able from Nielsen-Massey (this brand has no sugar), McCormick, and
Cook’s in 2-ounce jars (in many supermarkets). The powder may end up in
one big, dry lump in the jar; if it does, just crumble off what you need. Long
used in cake mixes, vanilla powder is also nice in streusel crumb toppings, in
doughs along with vanilla extract, in all-white flour sweet doughs, and with
chocolate. Use measure for measure when substituting powder for extract.
Whole Vanilla Beans
Whole beans are definitely more time-consuming to use than vanilla extract,
but they give the purest vanilla flavor without the alcohol. Different beans
will give different flavors to your breads. Choose from Mexican (the most
brittle and shriveled), Madagascar or Bourbon (long and slender; if these
have reflective crystals on them, use them—they have a high concentration
of vanillin), Indonesian, and Tahitian (the most expensive, the plumpest, and
most moist). If a vanilla bean is very moist, I keep it in a plastic freezer bag
in the freezer to prevent mildew. Otherwise, store sleek, flexible beans in
plastic or in a glass jar in a cool, dark place. If your bean is brittle, soak it in
warm water or milk until pliable before splitting. You can use a bean a few
times, wiping it dry after use. Beans should smell like vanilla; never use a
bean that smells off or bad.
To use a vanilla bean to flavor a bread machine bread, cut
the bean in half, then split it in half again lengthwise using a small knife.
Scrape the seeds into the milk or other liquid you are using in the recipe, then
throw in the oil-rich skin (that is where all the flavor is). Let the liquid steep
for 10 minutes before removing the bean, and the liquid is ready to be added
to the bread machine. I like the flecks that appear in a bread from the seeds;
they remind me of eating real vanilla ice cream when I was a kid.
You can also use vanilla beans to add their flavors to sugars
or coffee. I place pieces of vanilla bean (a single bean chopped into 4 or 5
pieces) in a spring-top jar and cover them with 3 to 4 cups of granulated or
confectioners’ sugar. The sugar takes on a vanilla flavor as it sits in the jar.
The beans remain potent for about six months, and you can just keep adding
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