One of my all-time favorite baking ingredients is vanilla extract. I can't get enough of the stuff! I put it in everything from cookies, to pancakes, to oatmeal - you name it, I'll try it! I just don't like the expensive price tag that you have to pay for mediocre quality at the grocery store. So I took matters into my own hands and purchased vanilla beans from Beanilla so I could make it myself. This brand is literally half the cost of the grocery store selection, so much fresher and shipping is free! It came right to my door in 2 days! I chose the Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean, but have purchased their Mexican Vanilla Extract before, which is also AMAZING.
All you have to do is cut a slit in 7 vanilla beans, lengthwise and add them to 8 oz. of vodka. I know, seems too easy right? Well it is! I had an 8 oz. mason jar that I wanted to store it in, so I had to cut the beans in half after I made the slit so they would fit better. Just let it sit in your pantry for 6-8 weeks, and give it a shake every few days to mix all the flavors together. I'll keep you posted on how it turns out! Try it yourself! All you need is 7 vanilla beans, 8 oz. of 70 proof (35% alcohol) vodka, and an airtight glass container. Oh, and patience too, I guess. Ugh my mouth is already watering thinking about all the amazing cookies I'm going to bake with it!
**UPDATE: The vanilla is amazing, but I did make a couple of modifications to the "recipe" during the process. After 8 weeks, it was still a little light in color and flavor, so I added 2 more vanilla beans that I had on hand (the Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans are sold in 5's, 10's, etc. so I had extra) and let it sit for 4 more weeks, still shaking occasionally. The flavor is spot on and everybody said that the cookies I made for 4th of July Weekend were the best I've ever made. I didn't change anything about the recipe...except using homemade vanilla!
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