Where would the British baker be without vanilla? It’s hard to imagine cakes, biscuits and custards without that sweet and fragrant flavour which we all know and love so well. And life without vanilla ice-cream is virtually unthinkable. Read on to find out why you need killer vanilla. And whilst you’re at it, Holy Lama Spice Drops are pretty handy too.
When I say killer vanilla, what I really mean is real vanilla. We sort of take it for granted, but it’s worth remembering that vanilla is a tropical orchid originally from Mexico and now cultivated in other tropical regions.
Recently there has been more awareness about the production of vanilla and the exploitation of workers that so often goes with it. To produce good quality vanilla and provide workers with a decent livelihood means that it is never going to be a cheap ingredient.
Taylor & Colledge
In fact, it is the most expensive spice after saffron. So when I received a vanillary scented parcel of products from Australian company Taylor & Colledge, I was really pleased to find that most of the products are fairtrade or organic. In their own words Taylor & Colledge are: makers of award winning vanilla bean extracts for more than a century.
These items are available in the UK at Waitrose and Ocado.
Killer Vanilla Extract
Bottles of good quality vanilla extract, especially if they are fair trade and / or organic are expensive. I certainly go through a lot of the stuff. In recent years, I have made my own by infusing good quality vanilla beans in Vodka for a few months. It’s very easy to do and saves a lot of money.
The 100 ml bottle of Vanilla Bean Extract in this bundle, not only smelt wonderful, but the flavour really came through in the chocolate log bake that I made with it. Although it’s not organic, it is fairtrade.
Killer Vanilla Bean Pods
Vanilla bean pods themselves are wonderful things and you can use them for all sorts of purposes. Generally you scrape out the seeds to flavour any number of dishes, including custards, labneh and various baked goods. As for the pods, you can use them whole to infuse milk, alcohol or other liquids.
I’m looking forward to making hot chocolate with my own vanilla infused milk for a special occasion. I’ve used them whole in the past to make vanilla and apricot jam, which is truly delicious.
These Taylor & Colledge pods are organic and come in a pack of four. They live in a heavy duty plastic tube for freshness. They have a heady smell and complex aroma which you simply don’t find in the extract.
CT noticed how the smell lingered in his nose for quite some time after closing the lid. This is an unorthodox use, but just sniffing them early in the morning when writing this post, seemed to lift our mood. They are soft and plump, which is just what you are looking for in a good quality killer vanilla pod.
Killer Vanilla Bean Icing Sugar
Once I’ve scraped out my vanilla bean pods, I add the empty pods to a jar of golden caster sugar to flavour it and always have one on the go. I’ve not thought to do this with icing sugar before though, so I can’t wait to try this Vanilla Bean Dusting Sugar.
So far, I’ve used it to cover a cake and to dust these vanilla biscuits. Both worked very well. The recipe for this will be appearing shortly. I can see myself following one of the suggestions on the container and dusting my porridge liberally with it too.
Killer Vanilla Bean Paste
Vanilla paste is new to me. Essentially, it’s the scraped out seeds combined with vanilla extract and sugar.
I recently used it in some mini chocolate persimmon cakes and was really pleased with the results. It gave a good flavour and the flecks of vanilla seed looked attractive in the icing. I will be posting the recipe for this tomorrow.
Killer Vanilla Pod Grinder
Last but by no means least, is this fabulous Vanilla bean grinder and I have fallen in love with it. Working on the same principle as a pepper grinder, this contains shards of dry (ish) vanilla pod and enables you to top off any dish you care to with freshly ground vanilla.
It even has two settings, one for a fine grind and one for a coarser one. I trialled it out on my chilli, ginger & persimmon tarts and was impressed that the killer vanilla flavour came through so well. The black flecks on top looked rather good too, I thought.
Dry Spices
Spices really are the spice of life, or at least they are in my world. I find it hard to imagine not having a ready supply of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, vanilla and chilli, all spices I use on a regular basis in my baking and cooking. Cumin, coriander and turmeric are firm favourites too, but I have many other spices stuffed away in my cupboard.
It is these, other less used spices that can be a bit of a problem. Spices are expensive and once ground, they don’t have a very long shelf life. Ideally, for real freshness and flavour, I would grind all of my spices as I need them, but this just isn’t practical; I’m usually in a hurry and often can’t grind them as finely as I’d like. This results in having to throw some of my precious spices away as they just become too old to use.
Holy Lama Spice Drops
Holy Lama have come up with an ingenious solution to this dilemma – spice extracts, or as they like to call them Spice Drops. These are highly concentrated extracts which have a shelf life of three years. Priced at around £3 a bottle, these could cost considerably less than buying whole or ready ground spices over the same time period.
The extracts come in little 5 ml bottles with droppers for precise and easy measures. Although the spice drops work well in baking, Gouri Kubair recommends that you add them at the end of cooking where possible to keep the flavours vibrant.
As regular readers will know, I like my products to be as natural as possible. The extracts are held in caster oil, which is fine, but I was a little concerned to see it was hydrogenated oil and wonder why this is necessary. However, they are ethically made in Kerala, South India.
The company website states it offers fair wages to its staff and fair prices to its farmers. Most of the staff are women and many of them are from disadvantaged backgrounds. Sustainability is important so the factory’s carbon footprint is deliberately low. Holy Lama is a member of the British Association for Fair Trade Shops and Suppliers. All that counts for a lot.
The range is quite large and includes spice blends as well as individual spices. There are a number of kits containing a collection of relevant spices. I had my eye on the Baker’s Spice Drop Kit, a collection of five spices: cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and vanilla. However I was only sent a bottle of cinnamon and one of tulsi to try out.
Cinnamon Spice Extract
As soon as I unwrapped the outer layer of protective plastic from the cinnamon bottle I nearly swooned with the wonderful scent that emanated from it. I adore cinnamon and if forced into a corner, would probably name it as my favourite spice.
One drop is the equivalent of ½ a teaspoon of the ground spice. I tried a tiny drop neat and it was very strong – not something I’d recommend. The first thing I made with it, was this spicy orange and chocolate Easter bundt cake. I used one drop only, hoping to get just a hint of cinnamon and it worked perfectly.
Tulsi Spice Extract
The tulsi I was a little more unsure about. CT and I drink quite a bit of tulsi tea so we’re accustomed to the flavour. Holy basil, as it’s also known, has a very distinctive taste and although I was keen to try it with chocolate I wasn’t at all sure it would work. I decided to use it first in a cup of hot chocolate, a rich dark drinking chocolate I’m currently reviewing.
The directions say one drop for every 200ml of liquid or more to taste. I had 250ml of liquid and used only one drop and it was very powerful. I’m not sure I shall be taking to tulsi hot chocolate as a regular drink, but it did sort of work.
Like coffee and tea, it has similar bitter notes which marry well together. It was, however, too strong and I was left with a powerful tulsi taste in my mouth for a long time afterwards. So for this extract, I would suggest, proceed with caution.
Other Spice Extracts
Subsequent to writing this post, I’ve acquired a range of Holy Lama spice drops. I use them regularly, but mostly when it comes to baking. Here are a few of the recipes where I’ve included them.
- Carrot cake flapjacks – cinnamon & nutmeg
- Granny’s apple pie – nutmeg
- Spelt waffles with rose raspberry sauce – rose & cardamom
- Spiced kefir pancakes – cardamom
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you get hold of any of these killer vanilla products or spice drops, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Or just let me know how you use vanilla and other spices and if you have a favourite recipe. Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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Choclette x
I was sent a range of Taylor & Colledge vanilla products to try out as well as two bottles of Holy Lama Spice Drops. There was no requirement to write a favourable review. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for your support of the brands and organisations that help to keep Tin and Thyme blithe and blogging.
Maya Russell says
I always put vanilla in cakes. Some good quality items here.
prwilson says
Vanilla goes well with so many things.
The Caked Crusader says
I’ve used the paste and the extract from this brand and really like it. Not seen the grinder though
Choclette says
The grinder is very new CC, so probably only just finding it’s way into the shops.
Jen @ Blue Kitchen Bakes says
Wow that grinder looks amazing, and so does the vanilla dusting sugar, I could see that getting used to finish off a lot of cakes. I need to write my wishlist for Santa now!
Choclette says
Both of those products would make a very nice addition to your Christmas stocking Jen.
belleau kitchen says
Love the grinder. That sounds genius!
Choclette says
Oh it is, it is Dom.
celia says
Love the vanilla bean grinder! This is an Australian company, and yet I’ve never heard of them before – they don’t even appear to have an Australian website! I wonder if they sell here in Oz..
Choclette says
Hmm Celia, that’s a conundrum. The address on the pack is 17-19 Wakefield St, Alderley, Qld 4051 if that’s any help.
Anonymous says
They also sell under the Queen banner Down Under if that helps.
Dan says
Love the grinder too. I’ll put it on my wish list!
Choclette says
Do that Dan – good luck 🙂
Hannah Hearsey says
That grinder looks like so much fun!
Choclette says
Perhaps it could be one for your Christmas stocking Hannah – it should be available via Waitrose.
Rachel Cotterill says
Mmm, delicious. You can never have too much vanilla! 🙂
Choclette says
Too true Rachel 🙂
Foodycat says
I love that vanilla bean paste – it just seems so much more concentrated than extract.
Choclette says
And it tastes rather nice all on it’s own – if a little powerful.
Keep Calm and Fanny On says
Love Vanilla, and that grinder is a fab idea, will need to track one down!
Choclette says
They should be available at Waitrose and Ocado.