Time to make Vanilla for the Holidays! {Beanilla Giveaway}
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Can you believe the holiday season is just a few short months away?! Thanksgiving is just 77 days away! What the what?!!!!
Many of us do some amount of baking for the holidays, whether it’s just a batch of your favorite cookies, fudge wreath, or baking for a holiday party or gift giving. Chances are your recipes are going to call for vanilla. Vanilla extract and vanilla beans are such essential items in a holiday baking spice cabinet.
Last year I shared how easy and much more economical it is to make your own vanilla. It’s so simple to make but needs to sit at least 6-8 weeks before you can use it, so get started now to have plenty of vanilla extract on hand for your holiday baking. Download and Print the free homemade vanilla labels Kelly made and you’ll have a fantastic gift ready to pass out to friends and family in December.
You’ll notice vanilla beans can be pretty pricy at the grocery store, so if you plan to make more than one bottle of extract I highly suggest purchasing your beans online, from places such as at Beanilla.com. right now they have 25 Madagascar Vanilla Beans for $25 + FREE shipping! that’s a fantastic price!
Now is the time to make vanilla for the holidays
- recipe and step-by step instructions to make homemade vanilla extract
- download and print free Homemade Vanilla label
- shop beanilla.com for vanilla beans and bottles
WIN IT! GIVEAWAY ENDED
My friends at Beanilla would like to help two lucky TidyMom readers get their vanilla going this year with an awesome $150 prize pack of vanilla making supplies!
Each winner will receive:
- 1 Package (vacuum sealed) of 5 Madagascar Vanilla Beans
- 1 Package (vacuum sealed) of 5 Tonga Vanilla Beans
- 1 Package (vacuum sealed) of 5 Indonesian Vanilla Beans
- 1 Package (vacuum sealed) of 5 Mexican Vanilla Beans
- 1 Package (vacuum sealed) of 5 Ugandan Vanilla Beans
- 1 Package (vacuum sealed) of 5 Indian Vanilla Beans
- 1 Package (vacuum sealed) of 3 Tahitian Vanilla Beans (Tahiti)
- 7 Clear Glass Bottles, 8.5 oz w/ Swingtop
- 1 Vanilla Bean Sampler (7 glass vials containing 3 beans of each variety)
How to enter:
- leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite recipe with vanilla!
- Then simply complete the steps in the giveaway widget below. Personal information will not be shared or used for any kind of mailing list, it’s simply used by me to select and contact the winner.
If you don’t see the widget, be patient because it might take a minute to load (especially with Internet Explorer 9). Or you can click here to for the entry form if you have any questions, you can contact me via email
Disclaimer: this post is a collaboration with Beanilla. All opinions, views and love of vanilla are all my own.
Hi there, I'm Cheryl!
As a wife, mom, and caffeine enthusiast, my journey has taken me from bustling mornings with my family to sharing delicious recipes, home care tips, and heartfelt decorating insights with wonderful readers like you. My love for baking, photography, and tidiness shines through every post I craft. Dive into my world and discover the art of homemaking, one tidy moment at a time. Read more...
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Please respect my work, recipes and photographs. If you do use a recipe in your own writing, please give proper credit and link back to the original post.
i love baking cakes and butter cookies with vanilla extract, the fresher it is, the better it tastes. 🙂
I like putting vanilla in my cookies.
My favorite recipe which uses vanilla is definitely my “wanna-be famous” buttery & creamy buttercream cream cheese icing I use on cupcakes for my kiddos!
Vanilla pastry cream – especially when I use vanilla bean paste. It has so many applications and is so easy to make!
I love putting real vanilla in Oatmeal, Pancakes and just about anything…It’s gotta be one of the best extracts.
I would love to win this! Thanks so much for making it available! (o:
I use vanilla/vanilla beans in just about all of my recipes…cookies, cupcakes, cakes, brownies, marshmallows and pies. But the one I love to make the most of is my family’s favorite..Vanilla Bean Cupcakes w/Strawberry Buttercream!
My favorite recipe is for fudge :
Ingredients
3 cups (18 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
Dash salt
1/2 to 1 cups chopped nuts (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
LINE 8- or 9-inch square pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan.
MELT chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt in heavy saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in nuts and vanilla. Spread evenly into prepared pan.
CHILL 2 hours or until firm. Remove from pan by lifting edges of foil. Cut into squares.
My favorite recipe to use vanilla? Any recipe in which one can add vanilla! 😉 I use a generous pour in most baked goods!
Vanilla ice cream – has to use vanilla beans!
I LOVE homemade vanilla bean ice cream! The only kind I like. 🙂
I have started making my own homemade yogurt. Vanilla is wonderful and not too sweet. With a touch of fresh pumpkin and cinnamon this time of year your yogurt is hands down better than anything you’ll find in the stores! Happy baking!!!
I have always wanted to make my own homemade vanilla! I use vanilla in my recipe for Chocolate Mint Snow Cap Cookies – a favorite for the holidays.
I love using vanilla beans in tons of recipes even in ones that don’t call for them because they are an amazing way to really vamp up a stale recipe! My favorite thing to make in arge batches around the holidays is Tapioca Pudding but it is just too expensive and we just moved to a new city so I don’t think I will be able to us fresh vanilla pods and caviar so I’m really nervous about how it might come out :/ but with this give away I can make lots of vanilla filled goodies!!
Ingredients
3 cups whole milk
1/3 cup small pearl tapioca (not instant)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks (lightly beaten)
1 vanilla bean (split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved)
1/8 tsp fine salt
Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal! Add frozen sweet cherries, cinnamon, milk & VANILLA to your morning oatmeal!
It has to be vanilla pudding!
Homemade hot cocoa made with whole vanillla beans. <3
I use a rather strong vanilla in my Special Freshly ground Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip cookies.
3 cups Freshly ground Soft Wheat flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Real Salt
2 Sticks Butter (1 cup)
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
3/4 cup Unrefined, unbleached cane sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
2 cups Chocolate Chip Morsels
Preheat oven to 350 degrees; Beat Butter, both sugars until smooth & creamy; Add eggs and beat again. Stir together dry ingredients in separate bowl and add to Butter mixture small portions at the time until mixed in. Stir in the Chocolate morsels; Scoop on Baking Sheet & bake for 9-11 mins. Cool on a rack and Enjoy.
I love vanilla in my chocolate chip cookies, but I use a lot. I love the taste of vanilla. I also love adding it to smoothies.
GASP!! I want this. My favorite ‘recipe’ might not exactly be considered a recipe, but I always add a good splash of vanilla to the water I cook my oatmeal in and it turns regular old wonderfully fabulous oatmeal into SUPER CRAZY AMAZINGLY wonderfully fabulous oatmeal. And I eat oatmeal every day, often twice a day, so I go through a lot. I am just itching to try all the different varieties – I actually JUST received my first ever order from beanilla today and have it brewing in jars now. REALLY wanted to get that sample pack, but settled for just 3 varieties this time.
Vanilla sugared almonds!
Vanilla is one of my favorite flavors and I always try to purchase the best quality I can find for baking. I think my favorite recipe that includes vanilla is creme brûlée.
I have never made homemade vanilla before but I am looking forward to doing so. Thanks for this great give-away.
I love vanilla in everything. Even add it to my oatmeal. 🙂 But for a simple recipe where the flavor comes through the best, I would have to say creme brulee. There’s just something about the creamy and crunchy together and the taste. Yum!
I LOVE granola with plain greek yogurt! Just doesn’t get old!
My favorite thing to make with vanilla are cookies and in particular chocolate chip!
I love using vanilla in my pancake recipe. My grandmother taught me the recipe when I was little and I still make it (no box mix for me). The secret is to whip the egg white separately and then gently fold them into the batter along with the vanilla. The vanilla smell is heavenly and I love the flavor of the vanilla enhancement.
I also add vanilla to my beaten eggs when makeing french toast.
I use a lot of vanilla but I never thought of making my own. I can’t wait to try it.
Hands down, it is banana pudding
I love making vanilla and sugar body scrub!
The simple things like ice cream and cake!
I make an awesome vanilla pound cake. I LOVE it!
I LOVE homemade vanilla, it is so special and delicious
I love to make a vanilla infused whipped cream and put it on everything!!! Vanilla sugar is delicious too. 🙂
I use vanilla in my homemade puddings, frostings, and much much more! YUM! Thanks for the chance! 🙂
My favorite recipe using vanilla is for jumbo chewy chocolate chip cookies
Pumpkin pie and cookies
I put vanilla in everything I bake. Crepes taste better with vanilla
I love vanilla in all my sweets! I would love to make it homemade with Beanilla vanilla beans.
I use vanilla extract in an old family recipe for Banana Nut Bread:
1/2 Cup butter or margarine (1 stick) (or shortening)
1 scant cup of sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped pecans
3 small, or 2 large bananas — mashed
2 cups of flour
Cream together, shortening (butter) and sugar. Add egg, vanilla extract, salt and soda. Mix well.
Add pecans, mashed bananas, and flour. Grease and flour a loaf pan, and cook in oven 1 hour at 350 degrees.
I use my home made vanilla in my home made whipped cream and everything else I love to make! I like the Mexican vanilla the best. It’s what I was raised on and I think that’s why.
Vanilla bean pudding
Love baking cookies fudge and cakes.
My son loves when I make Cinnamon Vanilla pancakes! I double up the vanilla to make them “sweeter” and my son never suspects that they are healthy pancakes!
Vanilla Chai Tea…MMMM yummy. My favorite fall drink.
I use vanilla in the ” creamiest rice pudding ever”.
3 c. water * 1/2 c rice * 1 tbsp. butter * 2 eggs * 1 c sugar * 2 tbsp. vanilla * 2 pints half & half
Simmer rice in water w/ dash of salt until stiff. Add half & half bring to low boil for 20 minutes, stir frequently. Mix together sugar, vanilla & eggs and add to rice mixture. Bring back to boil, then pour in bowl…add cinnamon if desired. Cool & refrigerate. Best rice pudding ever! Good vanilla makes a difference!
I LOVE homemade vanilla, and was thinking it would make great gifts! I like to add some to homemade yogurt pops. It gives them an extra flavor boost and I love them as much as my son does!
I use my madagascar vanilla beans on my cookies, cakes, sugar, and hot cocoa.
My newest favorite things to make with vanilla are peach dumplings and pear vanilla jam!
Flourless Vanilla Bean Cake
from: theviewfromgreatisland.com/2012/10/home-the-three-year-flu-and-flourless-vanilla-bean-cake.html
Ice cream!
I use a recipe from my brother
1 qt half and half
1 qt heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
Heat the cream a nd add sugar and vinilla bean
Cool then add two ice cream machine