Vanilla essence

With the festive season approaching we have been thinking about what yummy treats we would like to bake and also what we could give as gifts. Vanilla plays a part in a lot of recipes be it cakes, biscuits, ice cream, fudge or even drinks! but what I didnt know is that its really easy and probably cheaper to make your own Vanilla essence

All you need is

Vanilla beans
Vodka
jar with a tight fitting lid


Searching on the internet I have have come accross lots of different suggestions on the amounts to use, but the method is always the same, simply score your vanilla bean length ways, add them to your jar, then add Vodka. I went with 3 beans per cup measure of Vodka, then leave it for around 3 months, giving your jar a shake once in a while. I didnt make ours early enough to be able to use it in our Christmas baking so will have to buy some in, but in future I shall make my own