Vanilla Extract, Food Coloring & Spices in Baking Ingredients

What’s the difference between vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste?

You can use vanilla extract or bean paste 1:1 in most recipes, but they are not the same thing. Vanilla bean paste is a thick paste made of vanilla beans and has flecks of vanilla in the paste. It typically has a stronger, richer vanilla flavor when compared to extract. Vanilla extract is liquid and does not contain flecks of vanilla. Vanilla extract is typically less expensive and most often used in baking and cooking.

How can I make my own pumpkin pie spice?

Pumpkin pie spice is a premade blend of spices that can be found in most grocery stores. You can also make your own pumpkin pie spice blend at home. You’ll need cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves. Purchase these spices already ground if you can. Whisk together three tablespoons of ground cinnamon, two teaspoons each of ground ginger and nutmeg, and one teaspoon each of allspice and cloves. Some blends also call for a little dash of salt.

What can I do with lemon extract?

Lemon extract can brighten many savory meat-based dishes or be used to add a nice lemon flavoring to baked goods and desserts. Try adding lemon extract to a basic pound cake recipe for a summertime treat. Bake poppyseed muffins with some added lemon extract to make delicious lemon poppyseed muffins. Make a marinade of garlic, olive oil, lemon pepper seasoning, and lemon extract to marinate steak tips or other meats.