Vanilla Bean Recipes

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Caramel Rum Pineapple Sauce
1 tablespoon butter
2-3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 pineapple, cut into bite-sized cubes
2 tablespoons rum
1/2 Spice Barn Vanilla Bean

Melt butter, add sugar and stir until melted. Split and scrape the inside of the vanilla bean; reserve. Add pineapple, rum, and reserved vanilla bean to sugar mixture. Cook on high until liquid is reduced and pineapple is glazed. Serve over ice cream.

*Tip: Place a vanilla bean in your sugar canister for vanilla sugar!

Double Chocolate Pudding
2 cups half and half
1 Spice Barn Vanilla Bean
1 Spice Barn Cinnamon Stick
6 ounces bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate
6 egg yolks
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
powdered sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 300. Place half and half in saucepan. Split vanilla bean and scrape in seed; add bean and cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer; remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes. Return half and half to simmer. Remove from heat, add 3 ounces chopped chocolate and stir till melted. Discard cinnamon stick and vanilla bean. Whisk egg yolks and sugar together; gradually whish in half and half mixture. Divide remaining chocolate into six custard cups. Place in a baking pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come half way up the sides of cups. Bake until springy to touch, about 45 minutes. Cool, then cover and refrigerate until chilled. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Caramel Bourbon Vanilla Dessert Sauce
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
1 Spice Barn Vanilla Bean, split in half lengthwise
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon bourbon

Combine sugar and water in pan over medium heat. Without stirring, cook until dark amber in color, swirling pan while cooking. This should be about 20 minutes. Reduce to low; slowly add cream, stirring with wooden spoon. Scrape seed of vanilla bean into pan; add pod. Add lemon juice, butter, and bourbon. Stir to combine. Store airtight, refrigerated. Bring to room temperature or warm when ready to serve. Use over ice cream, pound cake, etc.

Chocolate Liqueur
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
3 cups vodka
5 tablespoons cocoa
1 Spice Barn Vanilla Bean
chopped bittersweet chocolate

Combine sugar and water in saucepan; heat over medium heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until sugar has completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature. Measure out 1 cup. Refrigerate leftover for another use. Combine vodka, 1 cup sugar syrup, cocoa, and split vanilla bean in a 2 quart glass container. Cap tightly. Let steep in cool dark place 2 weeks, shaking every 2 days. Strain through double thickness of cheesecloth into a clean container. Set funnel with coffee filter inserted over another clean container. Slowly pour liquid through. (filter paper may need to be changed twice) When liquid is filtered to desired clarity, remove sample to taste test for sweetness. Adjust taste with additional sugar syrup. Then cover tightly and let age 4 weeks in cool dark place.

Vanilla Whipped Cream
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream

Vanilla sugar: Scrape seeds from vanilla bean; combine with 1/2 cup sugar. Rub with fingertips to distribute evenly.In refrigerator, chill small mixing bowl and beater for electric mixer. When chilled, eat cream with 3 tablespoons vanilla sugar to soft peak stage. Use to top desserts and beverages.

Vanilla-Apple Crisp
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 Spice Barn Vanilla Bean, split lengthwise
2 1/4 pounds granny smith apples
1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Peel, core, and slice apples. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil. Place sugar in bow; scrape seeds from vanilla bean into sugar and rub with finger to distribute. Add apples, flour, and lemon juice. Place apple mixture in dish, place dish on baking pan lined with foil. Bake until apples are tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and stir apples.

Topping: Blend 1 cup all purpose flour, 2/3 cup sugar, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, and pinch salt in a food processor. Add 1/2 cup chilled butter which has been cut into pieces; pulse until coarse. Sprinkle over apples. Bake until brown, about 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

White Chocolate Banana Tart
Pastry Cream:
1 cup half and half
1/2 Spice Barn Vanilla Bean, split lengthwise
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter
3 ounces high quality white chocolate

Bring half and half and vanilla bean to a boil in heavy saucepan. Whisk yolks and sugar until pale and thick. Whisk in cornstarch. Whisk in 1 cup milk into yolk mixture. Return to saucepan and whisk until custard boils and thickens. Pour into bowl, whisk in butter and chocolate. Press plastic wrap onto surface and refrigerate until well chilled.

Pastry:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons beaten egg
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Mince butter with sugar in food processor, pulsing. Add egg and blend until just combined. Add flour and blend, pulsing, until it looks like coarse meal. Gather dough into ball; wrap in plastic, chill 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough; cut circles and place in tart pans. Butter one side of aluminum foil; place buttered side down in tart pans, fill with pie weights and bake until set, about 12 minutes. Remove weights and foil, pierce crust with fork and bake another 5 minutes. Cool on rack.

Assemble:
4 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoon banana liqueur
1 1/2 tablespoons white cream de cacao liqueur
1 cup whipping cream, whipped to peaks

Toss bananas with lemon juice, fold in pastry cream. Fold in liqueurs. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon into tart shells. Garnish with chocolate curls and cocoa powder.