Zosia's Reviews
10 recipe(s) reviewed. Showing 1 to 10Sort by: Title 
| Date | Rating
Pure Vanilla: Irresistible Recipes and Essential Techniques
By Shauna Sever, Leigh Beisch
Quirk Books - 2012
Cherry-Vanilla Shortbread Cake Squares : page 67
This was a very interesting idea and the flavour was quite good – the cake was buttery with great vanilla flavour and the vanilla bean paste did improve the flavour of the canned cherries.
The batter was easy to make but it was quite thick and there was a very small amount to spread over a rather large sheet pan. The recipe didn’t offer any tips on the best way to do this: I dropped the batter in 12 spoonfuls over the area of the pan and used a wet, off-set spatula to spread it evenly.
With such a dense batter and a relatively long baking time, I think it was impossible for these to bake evenly so the pieces around the perimeter of the pan were drier and more cookie-like than the centre pieces, which were moist and cake-like.
The baked cherries had a thin, gummy layer on them after baking that I didn’t care for…….I would have preferred the cherry compote the author had originally considered using.
I did like the combination of cherries with vanilla cake but I think there are better recipes out there that showcase these ingredients.
useful (0)
Light Crisp Vanilla Waffles : page 45
A waffle recipe that lives up to its name: these were very light, very crisp waffles that were delicious enough to eat on their own.
The batter was kept light with the addition of buttermilk, whipped egg whites and, 1st time I’ve seen this, club soda. A small amount of oil in the batter prevented them from being dry.
They reminded me of vanilla pizzelles, the Italian wafer cookies, crisp, lightly sweet with wonderful vanilla flavour. They’d make a great dessert…..
useful (0)
Malted White Hot Chocolate : page 155
Sweet, warm, creamy….. this actually tasted better than white chocolate!
It was very quick to make, taking just a little longer than it took for the white chocolate to melt into the milk. I used an immersion blender to mix in the malted milk powder, an ingredient that added another flavour dimension. You’re given the option of adding either vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste - I chose the latter but will use extract next time as the seeds sunk to the bottom of the cup…..perhaps they remain in suspension if the whole milk and cream combination the recipe calls for is used instead of the 1% milk I used.
I’m not a fan of white chocolate so the rating is based mainly on the opinions of my snow shovellers…..husband and youngest daughter thought it could be sweeter but the others loved it.
useful (0)
Modern Vanilla Pastry Cream : page 125
What makes this variation “modern” is the use of a blender to smooth out any lumps instead of a sieve to remove them. Up until this final step, the method is standard: hot milk added to a mixture of eggs, sugar and cornstarch and cooked until thickened. The chilled cream was very aerated and had to be stirred down before it could be used. I don’t mind using modern equipment if it makes sense……it didn’t seem to in this case.
This recipe does produce a wonderful pastry cream: rich and creamy, not too sweet with fantastic vanilla flavour (both a steeped vanilla bean and vanilla extract are used). This will be my go-to recipe from now on but I’ll stick to using an “old-fashioned” sieve.
useful (0)
Salted Vanilla Chip Oatmeal Cookies : page 89
A few twists transform this rather basic cookie recipe into something quite extraordinary. A hefty amount of vanilla extract and brown sugar give the cookie base a delicious vanilla caramel flavour. The vanilla flavour is magnified with the use of white chocolate chips/pieces instead of the more usual semi-sweet and the cookie’s crowning glory is a sprinkling of vanilla fleur de sel (which I can’t wait to use on a savoury dish!).
The proportion of butter to dry ingredients is relatively low in this recipe so the cookies don’t spread much during baking…..flattening the portioned dough slightly before baking helped create the size, thickness and crispy-chewy texture I prefer.
They were a huge hit.
useful (0)
Slow-Cooked Vanilla Spice Oatmeal : page 34
Lightly sweetened, subtly spiced – loved the cardamom – with the delicate scent and flavour of vanilla. A wholesome and delicious breakfast of creamy steel cut oats straight from the slowcooker to the serving bowl.
It took just minutes to toss the ingredients together the night before…..oats, water, a little sugar, spices, ½ vanilla pod…..The trick of lightly oiling the interior of the cooking vessel meant no sticking in the morning. The cereal is ready to serve after the vanilla caviar (seeds) is scraped from the pod - much easier to do after the pod has been steeped - and stirred in. I did find that it needed a little extra water to improve the consistency, and a pinch of salt for flavour.
I enjoyed it with a little milk and a sprinkling of brown sugar.
Should be 3 1/2 stars.
useful (0)
Triple Vanilla Pound Cake : page 56
I never get tired of vanilla pound cake, not just its flavour, but its versatility. This one is fabulous but uses only egg whites, which is not so convenient, so I’m always in search of alternate recipes that are just as good but use different ingredients.
I was happy to find this one, adapted from the author’s family heirloom recipe, not just because the flavour sounded so promising with the triple threat of vanilla sugar, extract and caviar, but because it’s made with buttermilk and whole eggs.
I wasn’t disappointed. The cake is moist with a tight crumb and has a beautiful vanilla flavour. I made the vanilla bean-buttermilk glaze as well, a nice addition if you want to dress it up, but not necessary.
useful (0)
Twinkie Bundt Cake : page 61
Fantastic cake, and though I’m not so sure about the filling, if my tasters are to be believed, the combination is better than a twinkie….having never eaten one, I can’t say.
Made with cake flour, butter and oil, and rich in eggs, the cake is lovely….sweet and moist with a velvety soft crumb and great vanilla flavour; I would be quite happy to eat it without the filling, a mix of marshmallow crème and butter. Since the recipe produces a few spare egg whites, I decided to make my own “fluff” using this recipe from the book’s author. I wasn’t aggressive enough in boring the holes in the bottom of the cake for the filling so ended up making them a little too shallow and using only ~2/3 of the filling.
This was no more taxing to make than most bundt cakes and considering the rave reviews, I suspect I’ll be making it again.
useful (2)
Vanilla Bean Dutch Baby : page 39
Smelled and tasted heavenly.
The batter came together quickly with an immersion blender and was flavoured with both vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste. It was lighter than some recipes for this type of pancake calling for low-fat milk, extra egg white and only 1 tbsp butter.
As this was my first foray into the world of cast iron cookery - I was breaking in a new pan with this recipe - and I was using a pan that was larger than required, I hovered while the pancake baked. It took 10 minutes less time and was a little oddly shaped but it did puff up and had a lovely crisp exterior and moist interior. Next time, though, I’ll scale the recipe up so there’s enough batter for a 12” pan.
I actually made this twice: the first time I used the amount of salt listed in the recipe resulting in a barely edible pancake; the second time, I used only ¼ tsp and it was perfect.
My version deserves 5 stars, the book version deserves 1. I think the salt quantity is a typo……waiting to hear publisher’s or author’s thoughts on this.
Edited to add:
The author has confirmed the erratum......it should be only 1/4 tsp salt.
useful (0)
I’ve finally jumped on the candied bacon/bacon-for-dessert bandwagon, though quite reluctantly, with this recipe.
The bacon strips – I used hickory smoked, not the applewood smoked the recipe called for – are tossed in a mixture of dark brown sugar, vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds/caviar and black pepper before baking. Words of advice: open a window, turn on your kitchen/appliance fans and disconnect the smoke detector closest to the kitchen before you put the bacon in the oven and remove it immediately from the aluminum-lined baking sheets once it’s done or you’ll be chipping it off in pieces : )!
I have to admit it tasted quite good. The bacon was crisp with a caramelized sugar glaze but wasn’t too sweet, the vanilla was subtle but noticeable and a nice complement to the smoky bacon and the pepper saved it from being too candy-like. I think this will get made again.
useful (0)