Plain is enough for vanilla bean

Seed pod is fruit of an orchid native to southern Mexico

We sometimes use the word "vanilla" to connote something plain or unexciting, but those are the last words that describe the flavor — or the history — of the vanilla bean. The true vanilla bean has a strong fragrance reminiscent of pipe tobacco and dried fruit combined with its own intense smoky vanilla flavor.

The difference between a vanilla bean and even pure, good quality vanilla extract is considerable. The difference between a vanilla bean and artificial vanilla flavoring is astounding. To make your holiday desserts extra special, use real vanilla and wait for the compliments.

Vanilla is a seed pod, the fruit of the orchid Vanilla planifolia, native to southern Mexico and Central America. It was first cultivated in the Veracruz region of Mexico by pre-Aztec natives.

After the ancient Aztecs conquered the region in the late 1400s, they enjoyed the flavor of vanilla beans steeped with ground cacao beans and honey in their drink "chocolatl," which they called the Food of the Gods. Hernando Cortez returned to Europe in the 1520s bearing both cocoa and vanilla, and vanilla's path around the world had begun.

At first, vanilla was used exclusively in conjunction with cocoa, but soon its flavor became prized alone.

As the popularity of the precious pod grew, plantation owners began trying to cultivate it in areas other than Mexico. All attempts failed, however, because a certain tiny bee indigenous to the Mexican tropics was solely responsible for pollinating the flowers.

It wasn't until 1841 that growers began successfully pollinating vanilla flowers by hand.

Today, only a small part of the world's vanilla is grown in Mexico. More is grown on the islands of the Indian Ocean, notably Madagascar; in Tahiti and the South Pacific; and in the Caribbean islands. Although all the plants originally came from Mexican wild stock, over time many varieties and crosses have been introduced. If you see the words "Bourbon Java" or "Bourbon Madagascar" on vanilla extract, for example, it means the beans came from a certain variety of plant developed on Reunion Island (which used to be called Ile Bourbon), and grown on Java or Madagascar, respectively.

There is a complex mixture of almost 200 aromatic compounds in the vanilla bean. How the beans are harvested and processed result in at least as much difference in the flavor as the variety of bean and where it was grown.

First, the beans are permitted to ripen fully and then — from six to nine months after the flowers were pollinated — removed by hand from the vine. They are washed and graded for size and appearance. At this stage the beans have no aroma.

Next, the beans must be "killed"; that is, the natural process of cell maturation that would continue after the bean had been removed from the vine must be halted. This can be accomplished by heating the beans briefly in water, in an oven or under dark cloths under the hot sun. Other ways to "kill" beans include freezing or scratching the pod.

Next, the beans must be sweated, a step analogous to the fermentation of cocoa beans or tea leaves. In this stage, warmth, humidity and natural enzymes in the pod work together to form the above-mentioned aromatic compounds.

After this, the beans are dried in the sun, airy rooms or in large ovens — or some combination. The drying happens very slowly and may take up to a month.

Finally, the beans are bundled and stored in wooden or metal boxes, and a curing process of a few more months takes place, wherein the beans' flavor mellows and deepens. Only at this point are they sold or subjected to the extraction process.

Because of this labor-intensive process, pure vanilla extract and vanilla beans are far more expensive than artificial vanilla flavoring. Still, you can get a lot of mileage out of one vanilla bean.

To use a whole vanilla bean, slit it carefully along one side and spread the moist bean open. Use the point of a sharp paring knife to carefully scrape out the black pulp and tiny seeds from the inside. If your recipe uses a liquid, you may immerse the whole bean in the liquid and warm it for 30 minutes (making sure the liquid does not evaporate). This is called infusion. Depending on the recipe, a bean can be used for infusion more than once if carefully cleaned and dried between.

After using all the pulp from the inside of a bean, store the remaining pod in an airtight container of sugar to infuse it with the lovely aroma of vanilla.

Vanilla Bean Vanilla Mousse

Enough for one torte


1 package unflavored gelatin

3 tablespoons cold milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 Vanilla bean, seeds scraped from the pod

2/3 cup sugar, divided use

2 egg whites, room temperature


1 In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold milk and let sit for 5 minutes. Heat in a microwave for 1 minute or less, stirring and scraping the sides often, until the gelatin has melted. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

2 Whip heavy cream with vanilla bean seeds and ¹/ cup sugar until soft peaks form (err on the side of slightly overwhipped). Set aside.

3 In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add ¹/ cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

4 Fold together the whipped cream mixture and the egg mixtures, gradually dribbling in the gelatin mixture to blend thoroughly.

Devil's Food Vanilla Pecan Torte

Serves 8-10


1 recipe vanilla bean mousse, recipe below, not chilled

2 9-inch devil's food cakes, recipe below, or from a good quality box mix

1 recipe white chocolate ganache, recipe below, kept slightly warm

½ cup pecan halves or pieces


1 Place one devil's food cake on the bottom of a nine-inch springform pan. Press down firmly to make sure it is flat on the bottom.

2 Spread the vanilla bean mouse evenly over the cake. Refrigerate until the mousse is set, about two hours.

3 Top mousse with the second devil's food cake.

4 Pour over the warm white chocolate ganache. Arrange pecans in a decorative pattern on top.

5 Refrigerate overnight. Carefully loosen sides of the springform pan and lift away.

White Chocolate Ganache

Enough for 1 torte


8 ounces white chocolate chips or chunks

¾ cup heavy cream


1 Heat the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add the chocolate and stir gently until completely melted.

Devil's Food Cake

From Food Network

2 9-inch cakes


2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

¾ teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt


2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

¾ cup nonalkalized cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 ¼ cups water

¼ cup milk







6. With the mixer at low speed, add the flour mixture, about a ¼ cup at a time. Carefully pour the hot liquid into the batter. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a large rubber spatula, finish combining the batter until smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Lightly drop each pan onto the counter to settle the batter.

6. Set the pans on the middle rack in the oven. Bake until the cakes begin to pull away from the sides of the pans and the center springs back when touched lightly, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the cakes, in the pans, on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cake layers out of the pans and cool on the rack. (If not assembling the torte right away, wrap the layers in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 1 day, or freeze for up to 2 months.)

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