Kentucky Bourbon Vanilla Bean Pudding

‘Plain’ Vanilla is one of the most complex flavors in the world

Vanilla beans are the seed pods of the vanilla orchid, which is originally from Mexico. There are 3 major types of vanilla beans ~ (there is no one ‘best’ type of vanilla bean, they are all good)

• Madagascar vanilla beans have the most familiar, classic vanilla flavor and the strongest flavor of all the beans.
• Mexican vanilla beans have a slightly spicy, woodsy characteristic.
• Tahitian vanilla beans are the plumpest and juiciest, with a slightly milder, floral flavor.

Just to give you an idea of what you are missing when you eat something flavored with artificial vanillin, the fake stuff represents just one of over 200 identified flavor compounds in natural vanilla beans. If that wasn’t bad enough, the USDA has approved the use of “non-plant vanilla flavors extracted from beavers to be labeled as natural flavoring“.

Vanilla is the second most expensive spice in the world (right after saffron).

Vanilla orchid flowers grow on vines in just a few tropical regions in the world, and it’s a super labor-intensive process that must be done by hand, to harvest them. One flower produces just one vanilla seed pod. A vanilla bean can run you up to $6 a piece. Ouch.

tvfgi recommends: buying bulk vanilla beans

There’s no denying it, vanilla beans are pricy. But if you love vanilla, there’s no substitute for the beans themselves. I don’t have a specific recommendations for which beans to buy because it will depend on your taste and your budget. I will say that buying in bulk is more cost effective than buying them individually in those little jars in the supermarket. You can usually find bulk beans in varying amounts, some sold by weight, some sold by the number of beans.

I recommend purchasing your vanilla beans from a reputable dealer like Beanilla, Vanilla Queen, or the Boston Vanilla Bean Company, just to name a few.

How to re-use vanilla beans ~

The good news is that a used vanilla bean pod still has lots of life (and flavor!) left in it. First rinse and dry the used bean before re-using it.

• Add them to a canister of sugar. The beans will infuse the sugar with the subtle flavor for months to come. You can add several beans to the sugar and leave them there as you refill the canister over and over again. Give the sugar a stir from time to time to distribute the flavor.
• Add them to a canister of ground coffee ~ this will be the best vanilla coffee you’ve ever had because it will be naturally flavored.
• Add them to a bottle of vodka or whiskey.
• Use them to infuse milk or cream for any recipe.
• Add them to your morning oatmeal while it cooks.
• Let them infuse in lemonade or tea.
• After a few uses your vanilla beans will probably have lost their potency, so you can toss them.

I have a soft spot for real vanilla, I loaded in on in my Triple Vanilla Pound Cake, I put vanilla extract, paste, AND beans in that one. I add vanilla where you don’t always expect it, too, and I love how it accents my Pink Grapefruit and Vanilla Bean Jam, or my Whipped Kabocha Squash.

I serve this pudding in small glasses, and it needs no garnish, the creamy texture, full bodied vanilla flavor, and hint of bourbon stand alone.

What brand of bourbon do I use?

I used Bulleit Bourbon, but you can use any brand you happen to have or like.

Can you leave out the bourbon?

Yes, you can easily leave out the bourbon from this recipe, it will still be amazing. I know this because I forgot to add the bourbon to one of my test batches and it was still lovely 🙂

Can you use vanilla bean paste instead of a vanilla bean?

Yes, you can use 2 teaspoons of paste for this pudding.

TIP: I highly recommend eating this pudding warm, in fact I like it hot, right from the pan. (Definitely scrape the pan with a spoon, it’s the cooks prerogative.)