Vanilla extract is the one product universally agreed on that is worth the investment to bring your pastries to the next level! Even if you can’t order a dessert from me, I am honored to provide you a taste of my kitchen to yours. Everybody should have the best food possible in their kitchen!
Vanilla from Different Regions
Vanilla beans are grown in various regions which does dictate the unique flavors you’ll get from the plant. The most popular are Madagascar, Mexico, and Tahiti. We are thrilled to offer vanilla extract with beans from Madagascar and Mexico!
Madagascar vs Mexican Vanilla
Madagascar Vanilla is most commonly described as sweet, rich, and creamy with some secondhand notes of spice. The best desserts to use Madagascar Vanilla for include: vanilla cupcakes or cake, crème brûlée, cheesecake, vanilla frostings, sugar cookies, puddings, caramel desserts, or anything where sweetness and creaminess is the goal!
Mexican Vanilla, on the other hand, is still rich and creamy. However, you will gather darker notes such as smokiness, wood, and spice. These darker taste notes do a beautiful job of enhancing flavors of coco, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and caramel. I know I mentioned caramel for Madagascar vanilla, but the different taste notes of these two vanillas will bring out a different side of the caramel flavors! It all depends on the goals you have for your dessert. For example, a Madagascar vanilla in a blondie or a butter pecan dessert will enhance the creaminess and buttery notes of the caramel used, whereas a Mexican vanilla in a salted caramel mocha or a brownie with a caramel drizzle will work with the caramel to enhance the richer and darker side of it.
More desserts that will shine with a Mexican vanilla extract include: brownies, hot coco, fudge, chocolate cakes/cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, chai, chocolate chip cookies, churros, snickerdoodles, or anything where dark, smokey, or spice notes are the goal!