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 These
are the ingredients that add distinction and character to baked
goods. Imagine how dull
desserts would be
cinnamon or nutmeg. The
most important thing to remember about baking anything, is that the
recipe's flavorings should only be used as a guide. |
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SOME DEFINITIONS: |
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Essences are distilled with steam from fruits, spices and
other plants, and used to enhance or intensify flavor in an abundance
of foods. They are highly aromatic so usually you will need just a few
drops. There are thousands of essences from almond to cinnamon to
coconut. |
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Extracts are concentrated flavorings that come from
different foods and plants, diluted with alcohol. Some are made by
distilling fruits, seeds or leaves, anise, vanilla, peppermint and
almond extracts. Pure
extracts are preferable when baking (the taste is more vibrant).
However, they can also be made artificially. Though different in
flavor and price, the two are interchangeable in recipes. While the
flavor of an extract is technically less potent than that of an
essence, some commercial extracts are of similar strength to essences.
This leaves you with a small dilemma if you wish to substitute an
"essence" for an "extract". Begin by adding two or three drops of an
essence to one teaspoon of extract and add more if needed. |
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Nut oils
occur naturally in nuts and when pressed from them, it retains a true
flavor. It is a specialty oil, generally used for its special flavors
in cold dishes or added at the end to hot foods; substitute it when a
recipe says vegetable oil. Do not use it as an extract in baking.
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| Seasonings: Ingredients
added to food to intensify or improve its flavor. Some of the most
commonly used seasonings include
herbs (such as oregano, rosemary and basil),
spices (like cinnamon,
nutmeg, cloves and allspice), condiments (such as Worcestershire
sauce, soy sauce and mustard), a variety of
vinegars and the most common of all,
salt and pepper.
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How to pair alcoholic flavorings: |
| FLAVOR: |
ALCOHOL: |
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Apple: |
applejacks,
vermouth, sherry, calvados, cognac, cointrau, maderia, kirsch |
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Strawberry: |
champagne, wines,
beaujolais, sherry, port, kirsch, curacao, cognac, cointreau |
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Banana: |
armagnac, kirsch,
calvados, cognac |
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Cherry: |
grand marnier,
cognac, armagnac, brandy, kirsch |
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Peach: |
burgundy, wines,
bourbon, kirsch, cointreau, cognac, grand marnier, calvados,
champagne, brandy, marsala, madeira, port, rum |
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Melon: |
champagne, madeira,
sweet wines, grand marnier, port wines, cointreau, cognac, curacao |
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Orange: |
armagnac, grand
marnier, cointreau, brandy, armagnac |
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Pineapple: |
rum, brandy,
cointreau, cognac, kirsch, grand marnier |
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Mango: |
kirsch, sauternes. |
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ALCOHOL:
Liqueurs, spirits and wines add flavor to many foods. Some may not have the
exact flavoring or cannot have alcohol, so I have included a list of
substitutes.
|
 Don't
use imitation extracts--use the real stuff called "pure"--it does make a
difference. |
Liqueurs:
a usually sweetened alcoholic liquor (as brandy)
flavored with fruit, spices, nuts, herbs, or seeds;
Any of various strongly flavored
alcoholic beverages typically served in small quantities after dinner.
- Amaretto (am-ah-REHT-toh)
- An Italian almond flavored liqueur (or cordial) that is made from apricot pits
and flavored with almonds and aromatic extracts. History - It is named
after the town of Saronno Italy. It has been produced commercially since the
19th century.
- Eau de vie (oh-deuh-VEE)
- Translated from the French, eau-de-vie means "water of life." It is an alcohol
distillate that is rich with taste, flavor, and aroma. The French use the
expression "eau-de-vie" as a generic term for all brandies. It is unlikely,
however, that you will hear Cognac and Armagnac ordered in this manner.
- Schnapps (shnahps)
- Schnapps is a generic term for strong, colorless alcoholic beverage distilled
from grains or potatoes and variously flavored. Peppermint schnapps is the most
common, but other flavors include cinnamon, vanilla, root beer, blackberry,
raspberry, peach, and mango.
AROMATIC:
(1) A vegetable, herb, or spice used to enhance the
flavor and fragrance of food and drinks. In classic cooking, a reference to
"aromatics" most often means onions, carrot, and celery. (2) It also means
spicy, pungent, or having a fragrant aroma.
CANDY OILS, FLAVORED:
(See also Citrus Oils).
These are VERY strong flavors,
not to be confused with flavored salad or
oils, extracts or flavorings; you can tell you have the right one because
they are labeled as such and come in small bottles and smell strong.
Candy oils come in a wide range of flavors, such as orange, lime or lemon
flavors, tangerine, cherry, etc!
sugarcraft.com
has a great assortment, as does
williams-sonoma.com or
kingarthurflour.com.
Candy oils are used in baking and cooking. I have
done a lot of testing using the oils and always follow these guidelines I
developed:
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The
most important thing to remember about baking anything, is that the recipe's
flavorings should only be used as a guide. Make your baked goods the way you
like them with a wide assortment of choices. |
To use flavored candy oils in baking: if a recipe
calls for 1 or 2 teaspoons lemon extract, you can use 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of
lemon oil TOTAL, instead; do not double it. If the recipe calls for 2 teaspoons
vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon orange extract, use 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
and 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon orange oil TOTAL. (Start with the smaller amount of 1/8
teaspoon. You can always add 1/8 teaspoon more, but do not go over 1/4 teaspoon
total PER RECIPE because the flavors are intense!.
I also use my candy oils
for cooking. For example, I use a
DROP of lemon oil to make lemon chicken or in mayonnaise or melted butter for
dipping cooked artichoke leaves in. When mixing drinks, I often use a drop of
lime oil instead of using fresh lime juice juice. The
flavor you get from them is so wonderful!
CITRUS OILS:
These are powerful natural essences cold pressed from citrus rinds and are
dispersed in oil. (See also Candy Oils).
I often substitute the citrus peel or zest called for in the recipe (no matter
what amount) with a TOTAL of 1/8 teaspoon pure citrus
oil PER recipe (you can always add more after tasting, but no more
than 1/4 teaspoon in total).
CITRUS JUICE, PEEL OR ZESTS
CHOCOLATE AND COCOA POWDER
COFFEE:
is made from the ground and roasted seeds of the coffee
plant. It is used to flavor baking recipes usually with
Instant Espresso Powder, the
concentrated form of coffee.
History: It was grown, near the Red Sea, and controlled
by the Arabs during the middle ages. Its introduction to Europeans, through the
pilgrimages, led to the development of coffee growing in India, the East and
West Indies, Central and South America. Coffee beans are roasted to varying
darknesses and can have a wide array of flavors. Additives to the beans, such as
vanilla or hazelnut are popular in America. Coffee can be drunk black, or
sweetened with sugar or honey, and lightened with milk or cream.
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| Cappuccino - Coffee
made by topping espresso with the creamy foam from steamed milk. A small
amount of the steamed milk is also added to the cup. The foam's surface is
sometimes dusted with sweetened cocoa powder, nutmeg or cinnamon.
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| Espresso - Served
in very small cups, this is a dark, strong coffee made by forcing steam
through finely ground, Italian-roast coffee. |
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| Irish coffee - A
blend of strong black coffee, Irish Whiskey, a small amount of sugar, and
topped with whipped or single cream. |
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| Kona coffee - From
Kona on the big Island of Hawaii. It has a flavorful taste and ranges from
dark to medium depending on the berries used. |
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| Latté, cafe au lait, cafe
leche - Is a coffee made with milk, usually equal portions of
scalded milk and coffee. |
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| Mocha - Espresso
combined with hot chocolate and foamy steamed milk. |
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| Thai coffee - Is
made from strong coffee that is poured over ice and then sweetened
condensed milk is added. |
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| Turkish/Greek coffee
- Very strong coffee made from thrice boiled water, finely ground coffee,
and sugar (sometimes spices are added). Allow the grounds to settle in the
cup prior to drinking. |
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EXTRACTS: Add so much to any recipe.
FLAVORED OILS
HERBS
INSTANT ESPRESSO POWDER:
Coffee compliments the flavor of chocolate. Instant
espresso powder can be found in Italian delicatessens and many supermarkets.
The most common brand is Medaglia d'Oro. It's a little hard to find, but I found
a reliable
mail order source. However, brands from major American
companies are coming onto the market in reaction to the newfound love for "real"
coffee. If you wish, you can substitute regular instant coffee, but it
isn't nearly as intensely flavored.
ROSE WATER:
Rose water is used in a wide variety recipes in Middle Eastern and Asian
countries. It's used in desserts, and sometimes in baked goods such as some
traditional Greek cookies. It's sometimes added to halva, and found as well in
the confection known as Turkish Delight (or locum) with its starch and sugar
coatings to keep the cubes from sticking together. Moroccans often flavor orange
slices with rose water and cinnamon. Indian curries also may include rosewater
as well. In North America it's often used to flavor drinks. Not many flavorings
are used in so many different ways.
Rose water is often found in pharmacies, and
sometimes in liquor or gourmet stores, or ethnic markets. You can also make your
own. Store it in a cool place - it keeps for ages, though once opened, like most
spices and flavorings, it gradually loses strength.
Rose Water:
| 2 cups
edible rose petals with the white ends snipped off (ends are bitter) -
must be free of pesticides and cleaned. |
| 2 cups water |
Bring the water to a boil and pour over the petals. Cover and
seal with plastic wrap to allow the essence of the petals to fuse with the water
(about 45 minutes to an hour). Strain the mixture with a coffee filter colander
or cheesecloth colander. Use the water to flavor ice tea or pour over fruit
salads.
SALT
SPICES
VINEGARS: Vinegars are made from a variety of ingredients,
including wine, beer, hard cider, and grain alcohol, and each type has its own
characteristic flavor. Regardless of what it's made from, all vinegar is made by
the same process--fermentation. Under the right conditions, specific bacteria
convert the alcohol in wine, beer, or other alcoholic liquid into acetic acid.
The best vinegars ferment naturally and are then aged in wooden casks to develop
complex and intense flavors. Some producers bypass the slow fermentation process
with heat and chemicals, and their vinegars are harsh and metallic tasting.
The oldest and most common type of vinegar is
wine vinegar. Richer in flavor than vinegar from grain or cider, it's valued for
its fruity aromas and faintly nutty undertones.
| Red-wine,
white-wine, and Champagne vinegars are the basic varieties. The
best are made in the wine-making regions of the world. As with wine, the
more robust, full-flavored red-wine vinegars are best added to heartier,
more assertive foods, while the lighter, sharper white-wine and Champagne
vinegars enhance fresher, more delicate flavors. |
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| Fruit and herb
vinegars are simply wine vinegars infused with other
ingredients, such as raspberries or tarragon. These are especially handy
when the flavorings are unavailable in their fresh state. |
|
| Sherry vinegar,
made from sherry wine, has a sweeter, more complex flavor than ordinary
wine vinegar. Sherry vinegars are aged for a minimum of six years in a
solera, a network of oak barrels in which different vintages of
vinegar are blended. The best sherry vinegars are aged longer, but claims
of vintage on a sherry vinegar label can be misleading. The age is based
not on a single vintage, but on an average one. The best sherry vinegars
come from southern Spain and are sometimes labeled Xeres or
Jerez--Spanish for sherry. |
|
| Authentic
balsamic vinegar is extremely rare (and expensive) and labeled
aceto balsamico tradizionale--indicating that it was made in
Italy by the traditional artisan method. Technically a white-wine
vinegar, true balsamic vinegar becomes rich and dark through a long
process that begins with fresh white wine that is cooked down to a thick,
syrupy consistency and then fermented and aged in a succession of special
wooden casks for a minimum of twelve years. Pungent, exotic, and slightly
sweet, true balsamic vinegar should only be savored in its purest form,
never heated or mixed with other
ingredients, but judiciously drizzled on food or sipped as you would a
fine liqueur. |
|
| Commercial
balsamic vinegar is actually a red-wine vinegar fortified with
concentrated grape juice and sometimes caramelized sugar that's intended
to imitate true balsamic vinegar. While this widely available balsamic
vinegar may not compare to the real thing, some brands are valued for
their dark, slightly sweet, pungent characteristics. It's often added to
slow-cooked foods, blended with oil and herbs for dressings, or used as a
deglazing liquid for meat-based sauces. |
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| White balsamic
vinegar is another loose interpretation of traditional
balsamic. Producers add cooked-down grape juice to ordinary white-wine
vinegar to give white balsamic its amber color and slightly sweet flavor.
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| Cider vinegar
is milder and sweeter than most wine vinegars. The best are
unfiltered and unpasteurized. Good cider vinegar is slightly cloudy, like
fresh cider, and has a fruity, apple flavor. |
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| Rice vinegar,
also called rice-wine vinegar (although it's made from grain, not
grapes), comes in three varieties--white, black, and red. White, with its
pale, golden color and delicate flavor, is by far the most popular.
Japanese rice vinegar is milder and sweeter than the Chinese, which tends
to be more acidic and sharp. In either case, look for "pure" rice vinegar
to avoid those that are seasoned or sweetened. |
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| Black rice
vinegar (also called Chinese black vinegar) and red rice vinegar
are white rice vinegar with sugar and spices added. Their stronger flavors
make them less versatile than other vinegars. |
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| Malt vinegar
is traditionally made from beer and is sometimes colored with caramel
and infused with wood shavings. Its mild flavor makes it a popular choice
for pickles and dressings. |
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| Distilled vinegar
is commercially processed from grain alcohol. Most are quite pungent,
unperfumed, and colorless, although some have coloring added to imitate
wine vinegars. These vinegars are used widely in processed foods and
preserves. As a cook, the best use I find for distilled vinegar is
disinfecting my cutting boards. (from taunton.com) |
|
EXTRACTS:
- Almond: Almond extract
- A solution of oil, bitter almonds, and alcohol (approximately 1%) that is used
for a flavoring in baking.
 Did
you know?
Using pure vanilla extract will tint icing ivory-white. Use clear colored
imitation vanilla to keep your white icing white. |
-
Vanilla:
"Vanilla reaches into the primal state of hearth and
home," says Patricia Rain, the author of The
Vanilla . "It's sweet, floral, elegant and soothing". Vanilla extract
comes in many forms: liquid extracts,
vanilla powder,
vanilla paste, and vanilla beans;
each one has a specific use in cooking and baking. It can be pure, which is the
best, or artificial. I like to buy pure vanilla products
from
Nielsen-Massey, found in specialty and gourmet stores. (Williams-Sonoma
carries the line).
|
Q:
Do extracts work just as well as flavored
oils? A: Both extracts and oils will
flavor your recipe. Pure oil flavorings will have a slightly
stronger intensity so you may require less if your recipe calls for extract
and you use oil. If a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon lemon extract, you can use
1/4 teaspoon of lemon oil TOTAL. For a big boost in flavor, I use 1 teaspoon
lemon extract AND 1/8 teaspoon lemon oil in my recipes. |
Pure vanilla comes
from a bean from the orchid plant and is
grown in four
main areas of the world. Each region produces vanilla beans with distinctive
characteristics and attributes. Madagascar, an island off the coast of Africa,
is the largest producer of vanilla beans in the world and the ensuing vanilla is
known as Madagascar Bourbon vanilla. The term Bourbon applies to beans grown on
the Bourbon Islands - Madagascar, Comoro, Seychelle and Reunion. There is no
connection with the liquor produced in Kentucky in the United States. Madagascar
Bourbon vanilla is considered to be the highest quality pure vanilla available,
described as having a creamy, sweet, smooth, mellow flavor.
Indonesia is
the second largest producer of vanilla, with a vanilla that is woody, astringent
and phenolic. Madagascar and Indonesia produce 90 percent of the world's vanilla
bean crop. Mexico, where the vanilla orchid originated, now produces only a
small percentage of the harvest. Mexican vanilla is described as creamy, sweet,
smooth and spicy. The last of the four major vanilla-producing regions is
Tahiti. Tahitian vanilla, grown from a different genus of vanilla orchid, is
flowery and fruity, anisic and smooth.
Vanilla, with
its wide range of flavor profiles, can be applied to a vast array of products
and recipes. It is one of the most widely used flavors in the world,
particularly in ice cream. It finds its way into sauces in Mexico and cookies in
Sweden. Vanilla flavors fruits in Polynesia and perfumes colognes in Paris.
Anywhere there is a need for a mellow accent that compliments sweet and savory,
plain and fancy, vanilla is there.
|
VANILLA BEAN (POD):
The deepest vanilla flavor is found in the
thousands of tiny "caviar" seeds, scraped from the
dark, sticky pulp from the inside of a bean. The
best-quality beans come from Mexico, Madagascar, and Indonesia. They
can be purchased from the grocery store (not as fresh), a specialty food
store and through e-bay.
1
vanilla bean (approximately 2-inches), halved and scraped, is equivalent to
approximately 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract.
I like strong flavors, so I add the vanilla
seeds in addition to the extract called for in the recipe!
Choose beans that
are plump, pliable and feel dense and somewhat squishy.
Penzeys Spices also says that
the longer the bean, the better the flavor. Sometimes vanilla beans are
speckled with a pale, whitish dust. This is simply crystallized vanillin --
the substance that gives them their flavor -- and is nothing to worry
about.
How to get the seeds out:
To
extract the seeds, set the bean on a flat surface. Hold the bean flat with
one hand, and split the bean in half lengthwise with a paring knife. Use the
dull side of the paring knife's blade to scrape the dark, moist pulp from
the bean. When kept tightly sealed in the refrigerator, beans last
for up to six months.
What to do with vanilla
beans ?: They can be
dried and reused. If you have scraped the beans out in advance, they will
have less flavor, but nonetheless, still contribute a rich flavor.
| Make
vanilla bean infused sugar |
|
Make your own vanilla extract |
| Infuse a liquid
with the bean and seeds. Drop the seeds and the scraped pod
into warm liquid, such as scalded milk or cream, and leave them to infuse
for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour. Strain the pod from the liquid
(the tiny specks of vanilla seeds will remain). Use the flavored liquid
for your recipe. |
| Add the scraped
seeds directly to a batter. For example, add the seeds to the
butter and sugar before creaming when making cookies. |
What to do if the
vanilla beans become hard and brittle: Milk, cream or
half-and-half can be used to soften the vanilla bean; fill the vanilla bean
container or any other with it. Place the bean inside. Let soak in the
refrigerator for a couple of days and the vanilla bean will soften. Use the
left-over liquid, now nicely scented with vanilla, for coffee or whipped
cream. |
|
Vanilla
accents other flavors wonderfully:
when using orange or lemon extract, I like to add in vanilla extract and
always follow this formula: 2 teaspoons vanilla extract to 1 teaspoon
orange or lemon extract. It seems to round out the flavor and enhance the
citrus notes. |
Storing Vanilla:
Vanilla extract actually improves with age like a fine wine and keeps
indefinitely.
All types
of vanilla should be kept in a cool, dry and dark place, away from heat
sources, high humidity levels and sunlight, which weaken their flavor.
| Keep the vanilla bean in a tightly
sealed container, or in a sealed plastic bag to prevent moisture from
entering. It's never wrong to play it safe, since humidity can get
through any crack. It should keep for about a year or more.
|
| The liquid types should be kept in their
original glass bottle or plastic container they were purchased. They
will keep indefinitely. |
| The powdered form should also be kept in
a tightly sealed container, or in a sealed plastic bag to prevent
moisture from entering. Powdered vanilla, in addition, should never be
stored in a glass jar. Depending on what was previously stored in the
jar, there might be remnant smells and the vanilla will absorb those
smells, and will thus weaken its flavor. |
|
LIQUID VANILLA EXTRACTS: The
liquid vanilla extracts come in either dark or clear form. The dark liquid
vanillas can be made from real extracts or from artificial ingredients, while
clear vanilla is made from artificial ones.
Pure vanilla extract is made by soaking beans in
alcohol and water for several months. The brown liquid that results is richly
fragrant, unlike imitation vanilla, which is completely artificial and often
bitter. In fact, you can also make your own: steep the
vanilla bean in a small glass container of vodka or brandy. Use dark
vanilla when making cookie dough, egg based creams, chocolate sauces and so on,
which won't be affected by its dark color, since the foods themselves are
already dark. There is also clear vanilla describer below.
Liquid Vanilla Types:
|
In the early 19th century a young man from
the Bourbon Islands (hence the use of the name Bourbon) developed a method
to pollinate the vanilla plants by hand, one flower at a time, using a thorn
from a lemon tree. Today, hand pollination is still required. |
Madagascar Bourbon Pure
Vanilla (Liquid):
Rich and mellow.
My favorite dark liquid pure vanilla
extract is Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla.
Made from beans grown on the island of
Madagascar, it is the king of vanillas. Its creamy, sweet flavor blends
beautifully with a variety of foods. It is strong, so you may try and use
a little less in your recipes. See also
Clear Vanilla.
Mexican Pure Vanilla (Liquid):
Classic and flavorful.
Mexico, the original source of all vanillas, continues to
produce creamy, spicy beans which become a flavorful and distinctive vanilla.
This vanilla is able to enhance recipes with cinnamon or tomato-based sauces
like chili.
Tahitian Pure Vanilla (Liquid):
Aromatic.
Tahitian vanilla beans are known for their aromatic, fruity, cherry, anise-like
flavor profile. Tahitian Pure Vanilla is especially symbiotic with fruit-based
products such as
Clear Vanilla (Liquid):
Clear vanilla, which is artificially made, is great to use
in foods that you want to keep as white as possible, such as: whipping cream,
meringue, icing and so on. (Using a regular vanilla extract, which is darkly
colored, will turn these light tan in color). Use 1 for 1 instead of regular
vanilla. It can be found in cake decorating stores. (Along with the clear
vanilla, if you use all shortening, instead of butter, you will get a whiter
icing).
Make
Homemade Vanilla Extract:
There's very little that compares to the tantalizing aroma of vanilla. A
small decorative bottle filled with homemade vanilla makes a great
stocking stuffer or gift for cooking enthusiasts. (Makes 8-ounces)
| 1/2-pint Vodka or Brandy |
| 4 Vanilla beans |
| Seal tight bottle or container |
| Storage or decorative bottle that seals well,
preferably a darkly colored one |
1. Using a sharp kitchen knife, cut a lengthwise slit
down the middle of each vanilla bean.
2. Cut vanilla beans into 1/2 - 3/4-inch pieces.
3. Pour vodka into your container.
4. Add vanilla beans to container and shake.
5. Wait and shake. It will take 30-days for the vanilla
extract to mature. Once each day, vigorously shake the container for
30-seconds.
6. Once the 30-day cycle has finished, strain the liquid
through a colander or coffee filter and place in decorative bottle. FOR
even stronger, more potent vanilla extract, allow the liquid 6 months to
one year of sitting time. |
POWDERED VANILLA:
Powdered vanilla is an indispensable ingredient in the kitchen. It comes in a
pure form and can be used without discoloring foods, such as: whipped cream,
icings and egg whites. It can be added to wet ingredients without any lumps
occurring; or, simply mixed in with dry ingredients alone. I get mine from
http://www.williamssonoma.com
and use it all the time.
Some uses for powdered
vanilla:
|
1
rounded teaspoon of vanilla powder equals 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. |
If you've ever made cookies, or doughnuts, that
require you to coat them in icing sugar, after they have been baked or fried,
try adding in about 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered vanilla to 2 - 3 cups of sifted
icing sugar. It will make the world of difference.
Next time you make lemon meringue
pie, try adding a bit of powdered vanilla into your egg whites: 1 1/2 teaspoons
per 3 - 4 egg whites; it adds a great flavor.
I sprinkle it on hot cereal, add it to cinnamon
and sugar for cinnamon toast, sprinkle it on French Toast before serving, etc.
VANILLA PASTE:
Known as Madagascar
Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste,
it's pure vanilla with natural vanilla bean seeds. It is found in a unique,
convenient, paste form that adds a gourmet appearance to any recipe. 1 teaspoon
of vanilla paste equals 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
|
