Make Your Own Vanilla Extract with Beanilla

**Disclaimer: I have received products to try from Beanilla & am simply sharing my personal opinion which may vary from yours. I was not compensated for this review.

Years ago, my in-laws went on vacation to the Dominican Republic & brought me back a huge bottle of imported vanilla. Twice actually. It was an eye opener of sorts, to taste real vanilla. Not the extract that I was so used to. Unfortunately, I ran out quite a while ago & they haven't been back to vacation since. Which meant that I had to get re-accustomed to the average vanilla. I mean, sure, it's okay for some things...just not everything. 

Look at how long those beans are!

 Thanks to the folks at Beanilla, I'm now able to enjoy real vanilla again. Actually, I got to make it with their Homemade Vanilla Extract Infusion Kit! And the process was so incredibly simple, that it's almost mind blowing at how good it tastes. 

Bonus points for having the best directions ever!

All I needed to be on my way was 1 cup of vodka, rum or some other kind of straight alcohol. I was giddy as a schoolgirl when I realized I still had a bit of rum left. Not much, but more than I needed to be on my way to vanilla bliss. 

The kit included seven beans!

I opted for the extremely bold Tonga Vanilla Beans. These beans are on the rare side & are pronounced with a very unique aroma and flavor profile. Somehow I knew that they would be a perfect fit for my tastes. I just didn't expect them to be so huge! I knew right away that I would have to cut the beans up in order for them to fit into the swingtop bottle with the rum. 

Check out this photo on Instagram!

Lastly, all I needed was time. I swear it felt like the longest 8 weeks ever! Especially when I pulled the bottle out of my cupboard to shake once or twice a week. Which I may or may not have actually busted out singing & dancing to "Rock Lobster". 

Introducing the Beanilla Frapp!

Check out that vanilla! Of course I had to do a side by side comparison when it came to baking cookies. Beanilla won. Then I had to make some french toast with it. Yep, it won again. Then I decided to go out of my way & make several recipes that I had been meaning to make for a while, like bread pudding & some homemade vanilla pudding. Delicious! But then I decided to get a bit creative & make something of my own. The result was a Beanilla Frapp that was perfect for the almost summer heat. Let me mention that I am not a vanilla fan when it comes to my coffee. I will turn my nose up at the thought of it. But with this vanilla, the vanilla that I made, I just can't get enough!

Beanilla Frapp

•2 scoops of vanilla ice cream

•6-7 frozen coffee cubes

•generous splash of Beanilla vanilla

•milk

•sugar, if desired

-In a blender, combine ice cream, coffee cubes, Beanilla vanilla & desired amount of milk. If desired, you can add a bit of sugar for an added sweetness. 

-Blend to desired consistency.

Beanilla offers a variety of vanilla beans, glass bottles & jars, extracts & flavors, and saffron.

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