
I want to try a pastry cream recipe but it calls for vanilla bean and I don't even know where I would find it around here. Will it make a big difference if I just use vanilla extract? what would be the appropriate substitution?
Thanks a bunch for your help!!


A good quality vanilla extract would definitely work. Just make sure it says "Extract" and not "Imitation Vanilla" on the label. My favorite thing to use is Nielsen Massey Vanilla Bean Paste. You can find it on Amazon here http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002HQE11O/?tag=cakecentral-20 or at Williams Sonoma. It's much less expensive than buying the whole vanilla pods and more convenient than scraping the seeds out. It also gives you those tiny black flecks so your customer will see the quality as well.



Lots... to the amount question. Kidding. In pastry cream, vanilla is added after it has cooled. This gives you the opportunity to add to taste. Remember, beans and paste do not have alcohol, so they are sweeter and more subtle. Extract adds that bolder taste, so still, do what you want.
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