The Best Vanilla Extracts

America's favorite flavor of ice cream? Vanilla. My favorite pudding flavor? Vanilla. Cake? Vanilla. The latest craze in perfume bases - you guessed it - VANILLA.

I am a big fan. I think at one point I put a dab of vanilla extract behind each ear to see if I could save on the expensive perfumes I seem to gravitate towards. I remember it smelling delicious but I also remember a slight burning. Not to mention the fear of being referred to as "cupcake" by friends.

So let's talk vanilla. There are tons - Tahitian, Madagascar, Mexican, vanilla beans...you name it and they have it. Vanillas could be compared to wine...they all seem to have their own character.

I grew up with McCormick brand. You can find it in every supermarket right next to the artificial vanillas. But this barely skims the surface.

Artificial vs. Real Vanilla
Yes, the artificial is cheaper...yes, it smells almost like true vanilla BUT read your ingredients. Lots of scary chemicals and usually a higher alcohol content. Splurge for the good stuff. A little vanilla goes a long way and the taste of true vanilla makes a big difference in your final baked goods. A small bottle can run you around $10. My favorites are at the bottom of this post.

The Straight Stuff - Madagascar, Tahitian, and Standard
Tons of choices out there. Madagascar has become more prevalent among vanillas. Rich, deep. Tahitian I find to be softer and more subtle. Good for velvety flans or angel food cakes. Standard works for almost everything but is a bit more ho hum. These are your standard vanillas found in your local grocery. Your best bet is to try them all and see what your preference is. A good compromise is Sonoma Company's Madagascar/Tahitian "Crush". Both tastes in one bottle.

Mexican Vanilla
A long time ago I bought a HUGE bottle of Mexican "vanilla" in Juarez. One whole liter for $5. What a find! I went home and started using it immediately. It tasted strongly like coconut. I never really thought much about what was in that bottle until 3 years later I ran out and started looking for more Mexican vanilla. I ended buying a bottle from The Spice House in Evanston.

What an incredible difference! The coconut flavor was gone and it was replaced with a spicy richness (complete with cinnamon stick left in the bottle!). I use Mexican instead of Tahitian or Madagascar when I am looking for a stronger, spicy and more pronounced taste. The Juarez bottle turned out to contain synthetic vanilln and a high alcohol level. (no wonder I liked it)

Here is a great link to The Vanilla Company's explanation of how to spot fake Mexican vanilla and why you should avoid it. I have not tasted their vanilla but they look to be serious. :-)

Vanilla Beans
Vanilla beans are a wonderful thing but are a big pain in the ass. Recently, I had the
opportunity to work in the pastry kitchen at Tru. One of my tasks was to make a caramel sauce for sticky buns. They presented me with a huge jar of vanilla beans. Now I had always eyed vanilla beans with envy in spice stores. These lovely oddities smell wonderful and cost a fortune. Needless to say I stayed away from them and stuck with extracts. But I have to admit every time I see specks of vanilla in custards or cakes, I am in love. So when I was presented with this bounty at Tru my first thought was how to pilfer as many of them as possible. OF COURSE I didn't take any. Yeesh. I may be a liar but I am not a thief!

I took out one bean and tried to slice it open. (imitating the chefs on the Food Network) I sliced it down the middle or should I say tried. I butchered that poor bean and then spent 10 minutes trying to save the little specks inside for the caramel. Repeat: PAIN IN THE ASS.

But I have to say in the sauce - DELICIOUS. And KL from Tru told me to save the bean and to stick into a mason jar full of sugar. In a couple of days you have vanilla sugar for dusting cakes or for use in your coffee.

Another alternative to vanilla beans is paste. I use Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste. All those wonderful specks and taste without all the work.

A's Favorite Vanilla Products

Tahitian Vanilla

• Trader Joe's Tahitian Vanilla - good price, good everyday vanilla. Trader Joe's also now sells vanilla bean paste. I have not tried it yet.


• Nielsen-Massey Pure Tahitian Vanilla - the Cadillac of vanillas. Their website also has fantastic recipes and other extracts like coffee, almond and the like. Some may gasp at this but I have seen TJMaxx selling this vanilla at a discount in their gourmet department. I do not guarantee anything about its authenticity but it might be a great way to try it on the cheap.

Madagascar Vanilla

• Nielsen-Massey Pure Madagascar Vanilla - see above
  
• The Spice House - Pure Madagascar "Bourbon Islands" Single Strength Vanilla Extract

Mexican Vanilla

• The Spice House - love the cinnamon stick in the bottle!

Blends and Pastes

• Sonoma Syrup Co. - I love the "Crush" blend.
  
• Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste - forget the beans

Good products make all the difference in cooking. If you have some vanilla favorites, please e-mail me. I will post a vanilla pound cake recipe that my mom swears by later today.

Another tip: These extracts are a must to have on hand.

• Pure Vanilla Extract
• Pure Almond Extract
• Pure Lemon Extract

All others are nice to haves if you are an addict like me!