I have two vanilla beans

Haggis · May 26, 2008

A friend bought them for me. They are not your normal grocery store dry, stringy, flavorless, overpriced vanilla bean. These are plump, moist and with an aroma you would kill for.

I have two questions:

1. I know what I'm going to do with one of them. Ice cream. Probably next weekend. What kind of ice cream should I make?

2. What should I do with the other bean? Please be nice.

Sarita · May 26, 2008

You should make extract. Get thee to your liquor cabinet. I *know* you have vodka in there. Split the bean, sealed container, vodka, 30 days. Yum.

And for the ice cream? I'd go with like Vanilla Pecan, or maybe vanilla fudge swirl... mmmm, ice cream.

CatSlave · May 26, 2008

Haggis said:
A friend bought them for me. They are not your normal grocery store dry, stringy, flavorless, overpriced vanilla bean. These are plump, moist and with an aroma you would kill for.

I have two questions:

1. I know what I'm going to do with one of them. Ice cream. Probably next weekend. What kind of ice cream should I make?

2. What should I do with the other bean? Please be nice.

Ice cream: Something tropical, with mango, coconut milk, pineapple, banana or such.

Put one of them in a small container of brandy -or better yet, cognac- and let it infuse.
Use instead of regular vanilla extract.

Haggis · May 26, 2008

Saritams8 said:
You should make extract. Get thee to your liquor cabinet. I *know* you have vodka in there. Split the bean, sealed container, vodka, 30 days. Yum.

Excellent idea. But...

My extract has been going on for about 10 years now. Any time it gets low, I add a bean and some more vodka.

And, by the way, for those of you who haven't tried it, it makes excellent extract. Sure beats the hell out of that imitation crap.

Bubastes · May 26, 2008

You can make vanilla sugar. Cut it into 1-inch pieces and bury them in a container of white sugar. Fabulous in coffee.

I'd go for vanilla ice cream to let the perfect bean shine through. Let us know how it goes!

slcboston · May 26, 2008

ooh... no, don't waste it on making extract. For 90% of the things you'd use extract for anyway it'd be a shame to waste that bean.

(edit: especially as I see you have your own already... dang DSL...)

Over at the Food Network, Alton Brown of "Good Eats" (pretty much the only cooking show I actually watch) did a whole half-hour show dedicated to what to do with good, fresh vanilla. I've got nothing in my personal culinary aresenal, but that might be a good place to look.

Haggis · May 26, 2008

CatSlave said:
Put one of them in a small container of brandy-or better yet, cognac-and let it infuse.
Use instead of regular vanilla extract.

*ears perk up*

Cognac? Hmm. Interesting.

Haggis · May 26, 2008

slcboston said:
ooh... no, don't waste it on making extract. For 90% of the things you'd use extract for anyway it'd be a shame to waste that bean.

Over at the Food Network, Alton Brown of "Good Eats" (pretty much the only cooking show I actually watch) did a whole half-hour show dedicated to what to do with good, fresh vanilla. I've got nothing in my personal culinary aresenal, but that might be a good place to look.

Foodtv.com, as I recall. Thanks, Boston. I'll check them out. And I like Alton Brown too.

Sarita · May 26, 2008

Wow, Haggis. I'm impressed! Hmmm... What about some kind of vanilla mousse type dessert? I'm trying to think of things that will give the vanilla the chance to shine. Some sort of fresh fruit dessert with Creme Anglais would be good.

CatSlave · May 26, 2008

Fake Kahlua

2 cups water
4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons instant coffee
3 tablespoons water
2 cups brandy
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise

Bring 2 cups water and sugar to a boil.
Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly.
Dissolve coffee in 3 tablespoons boiling water in a cup, then stir into the sugar mixture.
Add brandy.
Pour into two 1-quart Mason jars (about equal level in the two jars).
Attach a string to the vanilla bean halves and submerge in the two jars.
Drape the ends of string over the lips and screw on lids.

Bubastes · May 26, 2008

Oh, I'd also consider making creme brulee out of the second vanilla bean. If you use vanilla sugar on top, that would make it extra special. Plus, it's an excuse to use a blowtorch in the kitchen.

Sarita · May 26, 2008

MeowGirl said:
Oh, I'd also consider making creme brulee out of the second vanilla bean. If you use vanilla sugar on top, that would make it extra special. Plus, it's an excuse to use a blowtorch in the kitchen.

Oooo, yeah. MG's idea is a winner!

Haggis · May 26, 2008

Excellent ideas, guys, Keep 'em coming.

BTW, about that vanilla sugar--it's a good way to store vanilla beans too. Just shove 'em into a large pile of sugar, then use the bean whenever. In the meantime, your sugar picks up the vanilla flavor. Goodness all around.

MsK · May 26, 2008

Haggis said:
A friend bought them for me. They are not your normal grocery store dry, stringy, flavorless, overpriced vanilla bean. These are plump, moist and with an aroma you would kill for.

I have two questions:

1. I know what I'm going to do with one of them. Ice cream. Probably next weekend. What kind of ice cream should I make?

2. What should I do with the other bean? Please be nice.

Homeade vanilla ice cream with that major vanilla. I would not add anything more to it. I'd just want to enjoy the vanilla. Yumm...
And then I'd save the second one to make some more ice cream the following weekend.

Haggis · May 26, 2008

KrystalR said:
Homeade vanilla ice cream with that major vanilla. I would not add anything more to it. I'd just want to enjoy the vanilla. Yumm...
And then I'd save the second one to make some more ice cream the following weekend.

The thing is, I'm getting demands for my rum raisin ice cream. It's basically nothing more than vanilla ice cream, but at the end of the processing, you add in 1/4 teaspoon of a good quality cinnamon (like Vietnamese cinnamon) and a mess of raisins that have been soaking in a jigger or so of dark rum for about forever (or at least overnight). It ain't bad, if I do say so myself.

MsK · May 26, 2008

Haggis said:
The thing is, I'm getting demands for my rum raisin ice cream. It's basically nothing more than vanilla ice cream, but at the end of the processing, you add in 1/4 teaspoon of a good quality cinnamon (like Vietnamese cinnamon) and a mess of raisins that have been soaking in a jigger or so of dark rum for about forever (or at least overnight). It ain't bad, if I do say so myself.

That's difficult as Rum Raisin is a big favorite of mine also. And your version sounds delectable. I can almost taste it.
Well, you do have two beans...

Haggis · May 26, 2008

KrystalR said:
That's difficult as Rum Raisin is a big favorite of mine also. And your version sounds delectable. I can almost taste it.
Well, you do have two beans...

If you can find those big, big raisins, and soak 'em for at least four days...I'll tell ya, it's heaven. Each time you bite into a raisin, it's like you're pounding down a shot of Meyers.

eta: and I do have two beans....

Bubastes · May 26, 2008

OMG, I'm drooooooling over that rum raisin ice cream now. I have a bag of those huge raisins in my pantry right now. I wonder how it would be with Captain Morgan's?

Haggis · May 26, 2008

MeowGirl said:
OMG, I'm drooooooling over that rum raisin ice cream now. I have a bag of those huge raisins in my pantry right now. I wonder how it would be with Captain Morgan's?

Go for it!

Sarita · May 26, 2008

All ya'll are killin me! I have nothing sweet in this house, save a bar of Green and Black's Chocolate and it's the espresso kind that will keep me up till kingdom come! Gah!

Haggis! Bring me some of your Rum Raisin ice cream. PA isn't that far of a drive

Haggis · May 26, 2008

Saritams8 said:
All ya'll are killin me! I have nothing sweet in this house, save a bar of Green and Black's Chocolate and it's the espresso kind that will keep me up till kingdom come! Gah!

Haggis! Bring me some of your Rum Raisin ice cream. PA isn't that far of a drive

Uh...sorry, Sara. Gonna have to wait 'til next weekend. I gotta get the stuff for it first. I'm fresh outta raisins.

But, hell. If you started walking now, you'd be in Michigan by then.

Joycecwilliams · May 26, 2008

Haggis
I never knew you were such a renaissance man. I am truly impressed...

L M Ashton · May 26, 2008

Sadly, I'm now wondering how difficult it world be to grow vanilla. We can only get the really bad stuff here... Damn you, Haggis!

Should I apologize now for any really really bad typos that show up today? I'm test driving a tablet PC for a review I need to write, and 'I'm using it in tablet mode. Fun, but it's prone to misinterpreting my squiggles.

MsK · May 26, 2008

Just checking back to see what happened to those vanilla beans. I see that it will be next weekend. Looking forward to enjoying it vicariously. Less calories that way...

L M Ashton · May 26, 2008

I have since learned that vanilla is grown here, which begs the question of why we only get the lousy artificial stuff in the stores. Apparently the beans are bought out mainly by ice cream manufacturers, which makes sense since the ice cream here is really really good. But it also means that l may be able to buy vanilla beans if I visit one of the spice gardens where it's grown. So. Yet another project for me...

I have two vanilla beans

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