Make your own: Vanilla Extract

The dark brown liquid lives in a little bottle, labelled: vanilla essence, vanilla flavour, etc. And, it comes cheap, for about a dollar. Now, what if I told you that most what "vanilla extract" you see in the store is well...an imitation? I know, I know. I gasped when I learnt the truth. I didn't even know that there were such things; bottles of imitation vanilla.
Vanilla is about the most common flavour you see today. So common, in fact, that it becomes a little boring. Do you have that impression of vanilla? Alright, you've had that thought? Now, I want you to perish that thought! Vanilla is an extremely versatile ingredient. It's used so readily in baking that it holds the same importance as sugar and flour. You may add just a dash of it into the large volume of cake batter, but it makes all the difference. Vanilla is flavourful and amazing and if you don't share my view, then you should start using real vanilla. I mean real extract, which comes from steeping real vanilla beans in alcohol.
Have I got you excited about vanilla yet? Well then, it's time to get a little more factual about making your own extract.
Alcohol
The whole process of making vanilla extract involves steeping vanilla beans into a large volume of alcohol. Yes, alcohol. Don't worry, you won't taste it in your cakes because the alcohol evaporates while baking, leaving the wonderful vanilla flavour behind.
I suggest using vodka, (37.5-40%, 70-80 proof) as it is a neutral alcohol. Some may like to use rum because of the additional flavour it incorporates into their baked goods, but I'm going back to basics, so I use vodka.
 Why the specified proof? Extracts are,by FDA regulations, 35% at least. But you don't want too a high alcohol concentration as it will not extract much vanilla flavour(aka pure goodness).
Vanilla beans
Use Grade B vanilla beans(aka extract grade beans) as these beans are value for money. Since you're going to steep the beans in alcohol, you don't want to spend all that money on really expensive beans. Save Grade A beans for your custards, caramels, etc. Furthermore, Grade B beans contain less moisture,but more flavour;maximise your dollar, and pay for the vanilla beans, not water. Now, you may see in some other blogs that they use 2-3 beans per cup of vodka. But as I've read on Vanilla Review, by law, you have to steep 1 ounce (30g) of beans with every 1 cup of vodka for single fold extract. So, for your own sake, just use more of the bean. You can always reuse it, and I'll show you how when I'm done steeping the beans.

all set to make vanilla extract!

vanilla beans!!!

more beans! XD

Equipment:
A sharp knife
A chopping board
Glass bottles(s)/jars
Elbow grease(especially if you're making it in a large quantity)
Patience

Ingredients:
For every cup of vodka, you want to have
30g of vanilla beans(for single fold)
                          OR
60g of vanilla beans(for double fold)

Method:

1. Sterilise the glass jars and knife. (I poured boiling water into my jar and left it for about 20 minutes).
2. Split vanilla beans lengthwise.
3.(optional)[I did this for about 70% of my beans] Scrape the beans.
4. Cut the pods into 1-inch strips.
5. Place the pods and beans into the jar(s).
6. Add vodka.
7. Shake.(continue doing this once everyday for a week).
8. Store the vanilla extract in a cool, dark place for 6 months and every now and then, give it a little shake.

It takes about 6 months before you can actually use your extract as you need the alcohol to absorb the vanilla flavour. Now, you may ask, what do I do after 6 months? The extract may have darkened, but it's full of beans and pods and cloudy white stuff. Well, after 6 months, I'll be straining my extract and I'll use the pods for other purposes. So check out what happens to my extract in about 6 months time.:)

results after just one day.

close up shot.

Au Naturel Red Velvet Cake

I've made red velvet cake twice before these cupcakes. Twice, I downed an entire bottle of red food colouring into the batter. Twice, everyone who ate the cake preferred the frosting over the cake. I realized that I had twice used the wrong method for scooping flour, resulting in the overly dense cake. (This is why I prefer to measure things by mass.)
Well today, there is not going to be a thrice. Because today, I've learnt my lesson and I know my mistakes, both of them.
One: Red food colouring. I never knew that red food colouring was bad for you until recently. Well technically, anything artificial shouldn't be good, but what the heck? I didn't know of any alternatives then. Now, I do.
Two: Measuring of flour. I am very embarrassed to say that I used to scoop the flour into the cup and pack it in. Ok, please don't start berating me. I've only done this twice, both when I made red velvet cake. If you want to know how, you might want to check these websites out. Alternatively, you can convert the cups in your recipe to grams.
So, if I'm not going to use colouring, what am I going to use for the red colour? Beets! And the best part? No one noticed! One thing to note, you have to try keep the mixture as acidic as possible, so avoid using metal bowls, spoons, etc.

 natural red colour!

Au Naturel Red Velvet Cupcakes recipe, adapted from Sophistimom
Ingredients:
300g sugar
225g butter
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk*
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
320g unbleached all-purpose flour *
2 tbsp natural cocoa powder*
1 1/2 cups beet puree (directions follow)
Cream cheese frosting(recipe follows)

Method:
1. Cream butter and sugar together. Meanwhile, in another bowl, sift flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder together.
2. Mix in eggs, one at a time. Add in vanilla.
3. Mix in buttermilk. Incorporate the flour mixture with the wet mixture.
4. Fold in beet puree.
5. Spoon the mixture into a standard muffin pan with cupcake liners. Bake for 180C/350F for 16-20 minutes.
6. When the cupcakes have cooled, frost them with cream cheese frosting. Enjoy!

Beet Puree recipe, adapted from Sophistimom
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup worth of beets(I used 2 beets)
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp vinegar

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Place beets in a roasting pan and fill it with 1/2 inch of water. Cover with aluminium foil. Bake for 60-90 minutes or until the beets are soft.
2. When the beets have cooled, peel the beets and cut them into chunks.
3. Measure and pour 1 1/2 cups of beets into the blender. Add lemon juice and vinegar. Pulse until you get a fine puree.

Cream Cheese Frosting, adapted from the Straits Times newspaper
Ingredients:
500g cream cheese, softened
113g butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
a pinch of salt

Method:
1. Using a handheld mixer, blend cream cheese and butter until smooth.
2. On low speed, add vanilla extract. Sift in icing sugar and salt. Mix until combined.
3. Place the frosting in the fridge until needed.

RECIPE NOTES*:
1. I mixed 1 cup of milk and 1 tbsp of vinegar and left it to stand for about 15 minutes instead of using buttermilk.
2. Use unbleached flour. Bleached flour is has a higher pH, and could affect the colour of the cake.
3. Use natural cocoa powder, not Dutch-process, for the same reason as the flour.