It’s finally ready. Yep, the vanilla extract (and here) that I started brewing in the spring is ready and roaring to go.
Around a month into the process, it looked like this. I made sure to keep it in a dark place and gently give it a shake every week.
When I was ready to use it last week, it looked like this. (I can see by comparing the two shots that some of it has evaporated.) The color is so deep and dark and the fragrance smells just like the best vanilla I have ever purchased. Now I know what wine makers and beer brewers must feel like when their concoctions are ready. Well, sort of….
I decided the best way to “break it in” was to bake up a batch of chocolate chip cookies. (That hand with the red nail polish belongs to Jordan. A girl can’t cook, measure vanilla and take a photo with just two hands!!!)
The recipe called for one teaspoon, but to walk on the daring side, I added two.
And for this staged shot, my chief taster/blog partner/daughter/friend approves of the cookie with its oh so subtle touch of DIY vanilla.
I made this last Christmas for gifts and it was a big hit – and tasty, too!