Do You Cook With Vanilla Beans?

21

At the Food Fête party this week after the Fancy Foods Show, a representative from Nielsen-Massey Vanillas handed me a kit sealed with a vanilla bean. She suggested that if I didn't want to cook with it, I could take advantage of its pleasant fragrance.

"Oh, don't worry — I'll cook with it," I reassured her. Although they're rather expensive — pods cost around $5 each — cooking with vanilla pods, in my opinion, imparts a more natural flavor than using vanilla extract. I like to use them in everything from cakes to vanilla-flavored hot chocolate. What about you?

How Often Do You Order Takeout?
How Often Do You Order Takeout?
Would You Rather Eat Crispy or Chewy Bacon?
Would You Rather Eat Crispy or Chewy Bacon?