The scent of vanilla is a fantastic scent. It has a warm, sweet, and seductive aroma which matches well with almost any dish that it sweetens.
That’s why it should come as no surprise that its amazing aroma and flavor makes vanilla extract an essential ingredient in almost every baking and dessert recipe. No matter what flavor your dish is, you’ll find that vanilla extract will nonetheless play a part in the making your dessert better.
Vanilla enhances the flavors of your dessert as well as making it more aromatic.
That’s because, much like salt and ground pepper is to cooking, vanilla is the universal flavor enhancer in the baking world. It’s the base flavor for many desserts. In fact, you will find it in almost all desserts. If you think that vanilla shouldn’t be added to your dish that already has a powerful flavoring— such as chocolate, cinnamon, strawberries, peanut butter, or even matcha— you’ll find that the addition of vanilla, in fact, heightens, rather than overpowers, those other flavors.
These cured vanilla bean pods from the vanilla orchid contain a more vibrant, earthy and warm flavor that leave telltale specks in the dessert.
If you’re willing to splurge and use a real vanilla bean, you’ll find that the flavor is even more intense than if you used an extract. Few desserts don’t require vanilla, and those that don’t, you’ll find, is not as appetizing, aromatically, without it.
Whether you choose the more expensive bean or the extract and essence, stock up! It has a long shelf life. Plus, you’ll find that there isn’t a dessert recipe out there that wouldn’t be made better with this indispensable baking ingredient added right in.
