Nielsen-Massey Vanillas has been crafting the world's finest vanillas and flavors since 1907. Nielsen-Massey is still a family-owned operation run by the third generation of Nielsens. Having grown up with the company and amidst the rich aroma of vanilla, they've spent their entire lives learning, studying and researching the best methods to produce pure flavors as well as how to achieve the best results in recipes.
At Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, they understand that vanilla tastes best when its natural essence is allowed to shine. That's why in producing their vanilla extracts, they use a proprietary cold extraction process instead of heat extraction. This process gently extracts vanilla's essential oils, preserving the more than 300 distinctive flavor compounds present in the beans. By protecting their vanilla from heat, they ensure that even its subtlest flavors survive extraction. Cold extraction is a more delicate, longer process that takes weeks instead of days, but they care too much about producing the finest flavor to risk losing any of the complexity and robustness of the original bean.
I received samples of Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract and Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar to review.
Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
Taking premium, hand-selected beans cultivated on the Bourbon Island of Madagascar, Nielsen-Massey uses its proprietary cold extraction process to gently draw out and preserve the vanilla's over 300 flavor compounds. The result is a sweet, creamy, mellow flavor with velvety after-tones, perfect for cooking and baking both sweet and savory dishes. An exceptional "all-purpose" vanilla.
*One tablespoon of vanilla extract is equivalent to one vanilla bean.
My Experience: I used this delightful vanilla in a batch of homemade brownies that I baked from scratch. The brownies ended up tasting heavenly and were the very best ones I had ever made. The rich taste of Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract very likely had something to do with it. I had never before put much thought into vanilla extracts before I tried Nielsen-Massey World's Finest Vanilla. I looked at the label of the 'imitation vanilla extract' that I had been using and I just could not believe that there is not a single drop of real vanilla anywhere in that bottle! There is a bunch of preservatives as well as caramel coloring and some sort of a fake vanilla flavor, but zero real vanilla! Pretty scary. Needless to say, I will be using only Nielsen-Massey World's Finest Vanillas from now on.The aroma itself is pure bliss.
Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar
Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar is a flavorful blend of gourmet baker's sugar and the pinnacle of all vanillas, Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract. Use it in any recipe where vanilla and the sweetness of sugar are desired. Vanilla Sugar is ideal for baked goods such as cookies, cakes, pies and pastries where it can enhance the vanilla flavor, sprinkled in beverages, such as coffee, cocoas or smoothies, or as a sweet topping to pancakes, fruit or cookies.
My Experience: I have not used this vanilla sugar yet for baking, but I have certainly enjoyed it several ways already! The first thing I did was add it to my morning oatmeal. I usually add a sweetner to my oatmeal, but the vanilla taste of Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar made it absolutely delicious. The next thing I tried was adding it to a banana smoothie. It added the perfect amount of sweetness, plus some yummy vanilla flair! Lastly, my daughter made her very own sugar scrub. (We got the idea from the Nielsen-Massey website.) My daughter mixed together 1/2 cup of Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar, 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil and a couple of drops of Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract for fragrance. It smelled heavenly and made her skin so soft!
To learn more about Nielsen-Massey World's Finest Vanillas go to: https://www.nielsenmassey.com
Win! One winner will receive a 2 oz bottle of Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract and a 8.5 oz bottle of Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar (Retail value $26.00)
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Disclaimer: I received samples of these products to review and to keep. The opinions are my own.
