How to use vanilla beans?

September 17, 2018

We love using vanilla beans in our baking - the powdery sweet scent, the bean scraping experience, the beautiful visual of vanilla caviar. Everything! Once the beans got split open, the magic happens.

Here are the 2 main ways to use vanilla beans.

When working with liquid ingredients: Such as pudding, pastry cream, creme brûlée, ice cream, custard.

Split the bean lengthwise. Scrape vanilla caviar out.
Put both vanilla caviar and vanilla bean in the warm liquid - be it milk, cream, etc.
Steep for at least 30 mins - stretch it to overnight if possible.
Fish out the empty bean, rinse thoroughly - save it for vanilla sugar. Proceed with vanilla-infused liquid per baking instructions.

When working with dry ingredients: Such as cookies, shortbread, tuiles, chiffon, madeleines.

Split the bean lengthwise. Scrape vanilla caviar out.
Mix vanilla caviar with dry ingredients. Proceed per baking instructions.
As always, keep the empty bean for vanilla sugar.

Now with empty beans on our hands, we maximise vanilla value by putting it in our sugar jar.

Use this vanilla sugar everywhere - next baking, coffee, tea. Let your vanilla imagination lead you.