There are many uses for vanilla beans, and using them in cooking is an excellent way to add that delicious flavor to your dishes. The seeds are edible, and if you have a few leftover beans, you can use them in cold-brewed coffee or maple syrup to enhance the flavor. The vanilla beans can also be used in other applications. A scraping and grinding process will result in vanilla powder that can be used in many recipes. Read on for a list of the most common uses for vanilla beans.
The vanilla bean has many uses, but the most common is in baking. Not only do the beans add tremendous flavor to baked goods, but they can also be used in savory dishes. You can infuse the flavor of vanilla into milk, cream, and sugar with the outer pod. To split a vanilla bean, cut off the ends, and scrape out the seeds using your non-dominant hand. If you don't have a scraping knife, you can also use a paring knife.
When you're preparing desserts, you can use the whole bean, split, or scraped. This will increase the ability of the seeds to infuse the liquid. You can also use the seeds from the split pod to add vanilla flavor to room-temperature cookies or vanilla buttercream. Alternatively, you can use the whole vanilla bean. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod with a paring knife and use the seeds to add vanilla flavor to other dishes.