When to use each kind of vanilla

If you've ever used real, genuine vanilla you know that using "vanilla" as slang for normality is wrong. Vanilla has a complex flavor that varies wildly depending on where you source it from (consider the woodiness of Madagascar beans, verses the almost custardy-ness of Tahitian beans). But it can be overwhelming when faced the different types of vanilla products to know when you should use each.

When to use vanilla beans: While most people are more used to the idea of slicing the pod open and scraping out the caviar, most of the flavor comes from the pod itself. So add the caviar to cake batters, and steep the pods in custards, tuck into sugar to infuse, or add to high-proof alcohol to make your own vanilla extract.

When to use vanilla paste: While you can use vanilla paste interchangeably with vanilla extract, it can also be used in products you don't cook, as it carries less of the alcohol-y aftertaste. Add it to custards, use it to make your own coffee syrup and creamer, and mix it into fruit jams. I also use vanilla paste exclusively to make vanilla buttercreams, vanilla ganache, and creme chantilly.

When to use vanilla powder: You can find vanilla powder both bleached and unbleached. Bleached vanilla powder is often used in French and Italian cooking and baking to ensure a pure white final product, while unbleached vanilla powder is a dark brown. Add it to your dry ingredients for baked goods, mix into meat rubs, or mix with sugar to add to your coffee. Because vanilla powder adds no extra liquid to your final product, it works great to add flavor to infamously finicky macaron shells.

When to use vanilla extract: I use vanilla extract in baked goods where vanilla isn't the dominating flavor, or in things that get cooked long enough to burn off the alcohol flavor. You can also fumble a bottle and spill it down your white apron and get a weird, grayish stain that will never come out.