I know it’s been a while but I’m finally back :) I upgraded to the latest version of WordPress and it unfortunately didn’t like my blog template. That needed to be fixed… and it took a lot longer than I ever expected. In the interim, I was afraid to try and publish any new content so I (im)patiently waited it out :) But yes, I’m back and happy to bring you these super tasty vanilla cupcakes! Recently I was contacted by Singing Dog Vanilla asking me to try their vanilla extract. My first response was a resounding “sure thing!” and was even more pleased when they agreed to sponsor a giveaway for one of my blog readers! A giveaway in which the winner will have a choice between two different Singing Dog Vanilla products! A giveaway that will tap your creativity! A giveaway that is not limited to “US Residents Only”… this time it’s open to those of you in Canada as well so this giveaway really is a good thing!
When Jennifer contacted me regarding Singing Dog Vanilla, I was intrigued. You see, among their various products they sell organic vanilla extract. While I’ve tried many vanilla extracts I’d not tried an organic one and I was curious as to how it would be. While I awaited the arrival of the organic vanilla extract, I put on my thinking cap to decide just what recipe I wanted to use it in. I decided to make vanilla cupcakes because I find the simplicity allows the true flavor of the vanilla (good or bad) to really come through. I was pleasantly surprised by the “clean” flavor of the Singing Dog Organic Vanilla Extract. No funky or “off” flavor… no odd aftertaste or anything unpleasant. If you’re into buying organic, I’d really recommend you check out Singing Dog for your vanilla extracts!
Another vanilla item that always interests me is vanilla bean paste. I think the reason is it doesn’t get used very much in recipes. There’s tons and tons of recipes that call for vanilla extract and lots of recipes that call for vanilla beans but very few that have vanilla bean paste as an ingredient. I feel vanilla bean paste is terribly underutilized… and I absolutely love it! All the flavor of vanilla beans but in a convenient “paste” form. I think the stuff is great because you don’t have to split the beans and scrape them out yourself. All the flavor without all the effort :) The winner of this giveaway will have their choice of either the vanilla extract or the vanilla bean paste. If you win, and you’ve never used vanilla bean paste, I definitely recommend choosing it!!!
Speaking of the giveaway… lemme tellya whatcha gotta do to win. Just leave a comment on this post with the recipe you would make to showcase this vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. Either provide a link to the recipe or do a copy/paste or type it out. I’m totally looking forward to seeing the recipes because I plan to try out some of the ones you submit! I’m sure others will try them out too so definitely put on your thinking caps and be creative :) Remember, you must be a resident of the United States or Canada in order to win… and the winner will be chosen randomly from those qualifying comments left before 11:59pm PDT on Wednesday September 30, 2009.
Good luck and happy vanilla recipe posting!!!
Vanilla Cupcakes
from Fisher & Paykel
Ingredients
125g butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 tablespoon Singing Dog Vanilla Extract
3 eggs, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups self rising flour
1/4 cup milk
Method
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and very fluffy – approx 5 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each.
Add the flour and milk, in three parts. Combine well but DO NOT OVERMIX.
Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.
Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting
from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
Ingredients
1 cup tightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 1-ounce pieces
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
Method
Heat brown sugar, heavy cream, 1 of the 1-ounce pieces of butter, and the cream of tartar in a 1 quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently while bringing the mixture to a boil. Allow the mixture to continue boiling while stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Transfer the bubble hot mixture to a stainless steel bowl and allow to stand at room temperature for 1 hour before proceeding. Place the cooled mixture int the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat on low for 30 seconds. Then beat on medium for 2 minutes, while adding the remaining 3 pieces of butter, one at a time, until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to high and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on high for an additional 1 minute until light and fluffy. Refrigerate the icing until needed.
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Mmmm I would make these scones of which I am CRAZY about!
http://stringtheoryknits.blogspot.com/2009/05/raindrops-on-roses.html
I would definitely go for the paste, because I’ve never worked with it, but I’m very intrigued.
I’d make this vanilla bean cake using the paste. :)
http://goodthingscatered.blogspot.com/2008/04/vanilla-bean-cake-with-cherry-preserves.html
I have been dying to try this recipe for pear crisps with vanilla brown butter for ages. The combination of pear, brown sugar, and vanilla sounds so good!
http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/12/pear-crisps-with-vanilla-brown-butter/
I love vanilla beam paste, i think it’s an amazing product.
my favorite recipe to showcase vanilla is just a plain swiss buttercream
it’s a 1 2 3 method
5oz egg white
10oz sugar
15oz butter
beat the whites and sug over a simmering water bath until it’s not gritty and just warm to touch, about 100 degrees. then beat in a kitchen aid mixer until cool. gradually add the butter into the cool whipped whites until all is incorporated.
add vanilla paste to taste.
How about pancakes with vanilla bean paste? I wonder if that would be too intense. I would just love to see the flakes in the batter and end result. YUM!
Beautiful cupcakes, btw.
I forgot to post the recipe link: http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2008/08/dads-clean-your-plate-buttermilk-pancakes/
I would do Jamie Oliver’s Sweet Vanilla Risotto with Poached Peaches and Chocolate. Heaven!!! Here’s a link to the recipe on his own site:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/risotto/sweet-vanilla-risotto-with-poached-peach
I suppose I would use the vanilla bean paste since this recipe calls for vanilla bean. I’ve never used it and I’m curious to try it.
I would make this butterscotch bread pudding: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Butterscotch-Bread-Pudding/Detail.aspx
I’ve never made bread pudding before, but tried it at a restaurant and LOVED it! So, now I have to find a good recipe to make myself.
Truly decadent.
I would make Hot Vanilla.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Hot-Vanilla/Detail.aspx
I love vanilla panna cotta,or even some rich ice cream.
I would definitely get the paste since I’ve never tried it but I’ve been thinking about these cookies:
http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/02/salted-chocolate-vanilla-bean-cookies/
I love the salty-sweet combination.
YUM!
Vanilla bean paste sounds amazing. I would indulge in a perfectly vanilla birthday cake and perhaps a sweet vanilla lavender bread, all the while drinking a latte topped with vanilla bean whipped cream.
By the way, that brown sugar buttercream frosting sounds wonderful, I’m going to have to try that.
Wow those cupcakes looks delish! I would go for the paste cause I have never used it and always wanted to try it out.
I’d make this vanilla bean cheesecake with cranberries: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Vanilla-Bean-Cheesecake-with-Cranberry-Jewel-Topping-2618
Hey, Em! Welcome back! :)
~ingrid
This one. http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/3545
So simple and so delicious.
Classic vanilla bean ice cream!
I’d make a simple but delicious vanilla ice cream
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2009/02/vanilla_ice_cream.html
We’re “supposed” to be on a weight loss kick since we’re going on vacation in November and my husband and I aren’t exactly in excellent swimwear shape – but it’s been so hard to resist baking up a storm as usual… Not that I need an excuse to indulge, but I’d love to win this to make Vanilla Fudge.. mmm…
http://www.recipezaar.com/Vanilla-Fudge-16922
The organic vanilla extract sounds delicious, but I would probably opt for the vanilla bean paste as I’ve been wanting to try it in ice cream! I’d probably start with this recipe and then work my way through the rest in that thread :)
http://www.ice-cream-forum.com/showpost.php?p=3171&postcount=7
I would make these:
http://www.990square.com/2009/08/birthday-cake-remix/
because you can never have too much cake!
Mmmm…daydreaming about the vanilla bean paste. I’d start with some chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting for the niece’s birthday. http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2008/03/vanilla-bean-buttercream-frosting.html
I always wanted to make genoise, so I would try that!
This YUMMY Vanilla bean cheesecake! The walnut crust makes this amazing :)
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups walnut pieces
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups sour cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 pounds cream cheese, softened
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 10-inch springform pan. In a food processor, pulse the walnuts with 1/4 cup of the sugar until finely ground. Add the butter; pulse until the mixture resembles moist sand. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 12 minutes, or until browned around the edges.
In a small bowl, mix the sour cream with 1/4 cup of the sugar and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla.
Reduce the oven temperature to 300°. In a standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle or using a handheld electric mixer, beat the cream cheese at low speed with the remaining 1 1/4 cups of sugar and the vanilla seeds just until combined. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of vanilla and the almond extract. Slowly beat in the cream until smooth. Pour the cheesecake batter into the pan and bake for 65 to 70 minutes, until lightly golden and slightly jiggly in the center.
Immediately pour the sour cream topping over the cheesecake and smooth the surface. Return the cheesecake to the oven and bake for 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a rack and let cool to room temperature. Run a sharp, thin-bladed knife around the cake and remove the ring. Refrigerate the cake for 3 hours, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before serving.
ooooo….yummmy! I would make Rick Bayless’s Impossible Cake— a.k.a. Chocoflan. If you have never had this delicious treat…you must try it! It’s magical with the way it inverts itself during the baking process and the taste is out of this world!!
http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/view?recipeID=57
I’ve never worked with vanilla bean paste. I would love to make this rice pudding:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/rice-pudding-with-vanilla-bean-orange-and-rum-recipe/index.html
Hi,
I’ve been reading your blog for some time now, this is my first comment though, sorry! I love your photos and recipes and have even tried a few baked goods from here. The recipe I’d like to try this time is from “salt and chocolate” blog : http://www.saltandchocolate.com/2009/09/loving-me-some-fall.html
An apple cake, I love the idea.
So here’s hoping I win.
These vanilla cupcakes are anything but “vanilla”. They’re so simple but pretty.
I’ve always wanted to try vanilla bean paste.
http://patti-cakes.blogspot.com/2007/10/buttercream-frosting.html
I would make Pioneer Woman’s Bread Pudding – it is the best ever!!
I would make hot green tea with vanilla extract and honey. A half-tsp vanilla and a spoonful of honey. That is, if fall would arrive and cool it off so I could enjoy hot tea.
I would love to try vanilla paste. I googled it and this came up:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/VanillaPaste.htm
Here is the recipe I would like to try:
Baked Beaver Tails
(Adapted from http://www.recipes-from-friends.com)
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup white sugar
1 pinch white sugar
5 cups flour, or as needed
5 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1. Put ingredients in bread machine. Once dough cycle is completed, remove and cover for 10 minutes.
2. Form into balls.
3. Roll each ball to 1/4 inch thickness in an oval shape.
4. Place on parchment paper on baking sheets, cover and allow to rest 15 minutes.
5. Brush with melted butter, and top with mixture of sugar and cinnamon.
6. Bake 15 to 20 minutes.
How beautiful they came out. So gorgeous and I’m sure lovely to bite into!
Love vanilla! My absolute favorite recipe is for Swedish Nut Cake. So easy, and there is vanilla in the cake and the cream cheese frosting. Isn’t most everything better with cream cheese frosting? Would like to try the vanilla bean paste.
Swedish Nut Cake
Ingredients:
2c. flour
2c. sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2t. baking soda
2t. vanilla
20oz. can crushed pineapple, inc. juice
1/2 c. chopped nuts (I use walnuts)
Frosting ingredients:
1 stick butter or margarine
8oz. cream cheese
1 3/4 c. powdered sugar
1t. vanilla
1/2 c. chopped nuts
Put cream cheese and butter into bowl to soften while cake is being made. Put all cake ingredients into large bowl and mix with wooden (heavy) spoon until well combined. Pour into greased (or sprayed) 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes or until tests done. (If you use pineapple in heavy syrup, it takes a longer time to bake. Guess it’s the extra sugar.)Let cool for 10 minutes while you prepare frosting.
Cream margarine and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Frost still warm cake, and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
This is really good. I am asked for the recipe all the time.
Would like to try the paste for the depth of flavor but I’d be grateful to try either one for this yummy sounding torte, just in time for Fall :)
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/buttery_apple_torte/
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/classic-flan
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/double_vanilla_cupcakes/
http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/2009/08/vanilla-bean-waffles-with-homemade.html
Vanilla bean pound cake!
http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/02/the-posh-life-with-speckles/
I’ve been dying to make this buttercream!
http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2008/03/vanilla-bean-buttercream-frosting.html
I would make all sorts of cakes with the vanilla extract, but definately this recipe, which I’ve been dying to try! http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/07/project-wedding-cake-the-cake-is-baked/
Nummy Nummy! I love Vanilla Bean Paste it’s all I use now a days …when ever the recipe calls for extract I use the paste!
http://therepressedpastrychef.com/2009/09/22/vanilla-cupcakes-with-brown-sugar-buttercream-frosting/#more-1108
Mmm… I would make Amy Sedaris’ vanilla cupcakes again. The cupcakes were beautiful the first time I made them, but I think my super cheap bulk imitation extract really kept them from tasting great. I’d love to taste them at their best. :)
http://www.amysedarisrocks.com/recipes.htm#amy
I would love to see how the paste would work in a custard-based dessert, like this creme brulee http://www.achicabakes.com/2009/09/newly-wed-treat-creme-brulee.html
WOW These are worth getting fat over!
this cupcakes are delicious !!
[...] and before I forget, congratulations to Amanda for winning the Vanilla giveaway!!! She chose the Vanilla Bean Paste (yay!!!!) and it’s been shipped out directly from the [...]
Wait, I’m confused… “8 oz of butter cut into 4 1-ounce pieces.” Shouldn’t it be 4 oz of butter? Or is it 8 oz of butter cut into 8 1-ounce pieces?
Kelly, it says 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 1-ounce pieces.
Hope that helps.
Never had brown sugar buttercream frosting. How much of a difference is there in taste from regular buttercream frosting?
The taste is about as different as brown sugar is from granulated white sugar.
Brown sugar has molasses added to it so there’s the difference.