baking, desserts, diy, homemade ingredients, homemade vanilla extract, pure vanilla extract, recipes, vanilla beans, vanilla sugar, vodka

A Simple Way to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract and Vanilla Sugar

Vanilla extract is a common flavoring agent for most baked goods and desserts. If you love baking, several recipes call for a teaspoon or two of this magical ingredient. It adds flavor and enhances the aroma. There are two types of vanilla extract: pure and essence. The former is much more expensive, while the latter ...

Nathan Machoka

A bottle of vanilla extract.

Dessert Stomach: The Truth About Why You Always Have Room for Sweets

Have you ever eaten a heavy meal yet still had room for dessert? If so, you’re likely familiar with the concept of a “dessert stomach.” For many years, people have been discussing this “separate area” in their bellies that seems to be specifically reserved for desserts. Let’s take a look at the science behind our ...

Viena Abdon

Chocolate layer cake decorated with flowers made out of purple and blue icing.

The Fascinating Journey of Vanilla From Pollination to Packaging

Vanilla is a spice extracted from plants of the genus Vanilla and Orchidaceae family. There are about 110 species of the plant, but only three, V. planifolia from Mexico, V. tahitensis from Tahiti, and V. pompona from West Indies, are consumed commercially. V. planifolia (from Mexico) is the most widely available and commonly used vanilla ...

Nathan Machoka

Vanilla beans.