HOW TO MAKE VANILLA EXTRACTDo you want to learn how to make vanilla extract? It is SO EASY, but you do need one thing, and that is time. It takes two months until it is ready to use, and it is so worth it. It will literally change the flavor of the desserts and food you make to a flavor that is beyond good. Just try it in my homemade French vanilla cake or frosting. 
IDEA: Save yourself a lot of money - and for the holidays or someone's birthday make this as a gift. It is SO MUCH BETTER than store bought that you will never want to buy it again. Just pour the vodka into a decanter and add the vanilla beans. When it is ready, create a label on your computer. Now tie a ribbon around it. The bakers in your life will LOVE it (and you).
1 liter of Vodka No access to vanilla beans? I recommend ordering at Vanilla Bean Online. They also have everything you can think of for baking and decorating cakes. Reasonable too. Buy some small bottles to bottle the extract for gift-giving. Split them and scrape out the seeds and place both seeds and beans into the bottle of vodka to age for 2 months, stored it in a dark area and gave it a little shake about once a week. After 2 months, filter it through a gold coffee filter to separate the seeds and bean fibers from the liquid. Don’t discard the beans, save them to place into the individual bottles. Gold coffee filters can be found at Wal-mart for about $5, they are very fine and make an excellent filter and they don’t absorb the extract. Now place one vanilla bean into each bottle so that it will continue to strengthen in the months to come. Used a small funnel to fill each individual bottle, add a custom label, a gift tag and bow and you will have a wonderful little gift to give to family and friends. This recipe will fill ten 4 oz bottles, and one 8 oz bottle and you will have approximately a cup of extract left over that you save for yourself. I would recommend using a 4 oz bottle; it seemed the perfect size for gift giving. NOTE Now you know how to make vanilla extract. Enjoy this; I sure do. |
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SECRET #1
There are many way to prepare these strawberries, but I am going to give you my easy methods. When you are melting the chocolate over a double boiler, don't let the water touch the bottom of your upper pan. Heat until only 1/2 of the chocolate is melted, then remove from heat and stir gently until it is all melted.
The chocolate should actually be cool or tepid to the touch. If it's hot, chances are it will seize up and thicken. If it does that, no amount of heating or stirring will fix it.
If you don't have a double-boiler, use a saucepan - bring the water to a boil, and then use a stainless steel bowl to rest in the saucepan to melt the chocolate.
SECRET #2
Strawberries are grown with many pesticides, so rinse the strawberries first with a veggie wash, and let them drain on paper towels until they were thoroughly dry so the chocolate would adhere properly. Any moisture would have interfered with the chocolate adhering.
SECRET #3
Spike the strawberries! Fill a syringe with a sweet white dessert wine, and slowly inject the wine into the strawberries from near the stem (after you've done the dipping in chocolate.) You want to inject enough wine to saturate the berries, but watch not to add too much otherwise they end up becoming runny. These are always a hit when I bring them to dinner parties.
SECRET #4
Pierce the strawberries on the stem side with a toothpick. Holding the strawberry by the toothpick, dip into the chocolate mixture. Turn the strawberries upside down and insert the toothpick into Styrofoam for the chocolate to cool.
PERFECT Chocolate Covered Strawberries Recipes
A delicious twist on my favorite red velvet cake recipe. Yum.
HOMEMADE RED VELVET CHEESECAKE RECIPE
Ingredients
CRUST:
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 TBS white sugar
shaved chocolate bar
CHEESECAKE:
3 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups white sugar
4 eggs, beaten
3 TBS cocoa, unsweetened
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1 TBS pure vanilla extract
1 tsp white vinegar
2 (1oz) bottles of red food coloring
TOPPING:
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
shaved chocolate bar, for garnish
Directions
PREHEAT oven to 325 degrees. The cake is baked with a water bath to prevent cracking. Wrap a large pan with foil (big enough for the spring form pan to fit in).
Mix the graham crackers and sugar together and add the melted butter. Mix with a fork and press into a 9 inch spring form pan. Sprinkle the bottom of the crust with chocolate shavings from a candy bar.
Beat 3 packages of cream cheese with 1-1/2 cups white sugar until fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into the prepared spring form pan and place in the center of the foil covered pan. Fill with water.
Bake for 10 minutes and lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 70-80 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the center is firm. Cool completely on a wire rack.
TOPPING:
Beat the cream cheese with the butter until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix until smooth and creamy. Spread evenly over the top of the cooled cheesecake. Garnish with the shaved chocolate bar.
*Buttermilk:
Place 1-1/2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice in 1/2 measuring cup and fill remainder with milk. Wait 15 minutes, stir, and it's ready for this recipe.