Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Frosting

OMG! I rarely post right after I make something, but I was SO excited about this recipe when I tried it yesterday that I had to post about this ASAP. I randomly stumbled on it while looking for a good vanilla cupcake recipe (I wasn't even looking for a frosting recipe!). If you like browned butter, YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS. It is so good and so easy to make.

Browning the butter

Note: You don't usually need to whisk anything while browning butter; just swirling it in the pan works, but I figured I should follow the recipe's instructions since this was my first time browning butter with vanilla bean specks in it!

My browned butter

 

You can see the browned butter bits AND vanilla bean specks!

Recipe here from Self Proclaimed Foodie (I made minor changes like using a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer)

* Note: Makes 2 cups or enough for 12 cupcakes (You can add more frosting on your cupcakes than I did; I was playing it safe and only adding the amount of frosting I usually prefer...although after finding this recipe I prefer more!!)

• 1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter
• 2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise (I used 1.5 beans because that was what I had)
• 3 cups confectioner's sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk or half and half

1. In a saucepan (medium heat), melt butter with vanilla beans (specks and throw in the leftover pods too). Whisk frequently. As the butter foams, continue whisking to release brown bits that may stick to the bottom. Once the butter has browned (once you start to see brown specks, the butter turns a brownish color, and it starts smelling more nutty), remove from heat. Remove vanilla bean pods from butter.
2. Using the whisk attachment on a stand mixer or your hand mixer, beat cooled browned vanilla bean butter with the confectioner's sugar on medium speed.
3. One tablespoon at a time, add milk (I used nonfat milk, but half and half or whole milk would work well, of course) & continue beating the frosting until you've reached the desired consistency.

In case you need a vanilla cupcake recipe too, I tried this recipe from Brown Eyed Baker and loved the flavor:

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
½ cup sour cream
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard cupcake tin with paper or foil liners.
2. Beat together flour, sugar, baking powder, & salt w/ a mixer. Add butter, sour cream, egg and egg yolks, and vanilla; beat w/ a mixer at medium speed until smooth and satiny (about 30 seconds). Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula and mix by hand until smooth.
3. Divide batter evenly among cups of prepared tin & bake until cupcake tops are pale gold and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean (20 to 24 minutes).
4. Remove cupcakes from tin & transfer to wire rack. Cool cupcakes to room temperature before frosting.

DIY: Vanilla Extract

I made vanilla bean sugar and vanilla extract the other day! I posted about the vanilla sugar here.

Figured I'd post about this now so you can start working on them if you want to

give these out as holiday gifts.

I used these Madagascar vanilla beans for both projects:

 The bean flecks up close (like caviar, I tell you!):

 Day 1 for the extract (before it started to change color):

 Day 2 of the extract (I'll take pictures by the week from now on and will update this post as I do so):

 

After 1 week:


 All it is is vanilla beans + vodka. I used Seagram's 'cause it had a middle-ish price (I figured you don't need the FANCY fancy vodka for vanilla extract):

 I think I like bottles better than actual drinks.

 

VANILLA EXTRACT RECIPE (found here at Bake at 350):

Whole vanilla beans

Vodka

Ratio = 1 vanilla bean per 1/3 cup of vodka

(1) Split the vanilla beans, leaving one end intact. (I cut mine in half to fit them.)
(2) Place in airtight bottles (if you use clear ones like mine, store them in a dark place)
(3) Top with vodka
(4) Store in a cool, dark place for at least six weeks before using. The longer it sits, the darker the extract will become.

DIY: Vanilla Bean Sugar

I finally made something with whole vanilla beans! Scroll down for pictures! I also made vanilla extract, which you can read about here.
Vanilla sugar uses: Coffee, cookies, cupcakes, etc. I have yet to try it on different things, but I imagine you could eat it with anything you want. Maybe on buttered toast? Have you tried regular sugar on buttered toast? Yeah.
Found the idea and recipe here at Cookin' Cowgirl. I'd been thinking of something homemade to make for Christmas gifts, so I got really excited when I found this. I went crazy and spent an hour or so looking for other ideas and ordering vanilla beans. Those things ain't cheap, but they're so awesome. Here's the really simple vanilla bean sugar recipe:

Homemade Vanilla Bean Sugar

12 oz mason jar

1 1/2 cup sugar (or brown sugar, powdered/confectioners sugar)

2 vanilla beans (I used Madagascar)

(1) Pour sugar in a large bowl
(2) Cut 2 vanilla beans length-wise with a sharp knife & gently scrape knife across bean to get vanilla flecks off (See pics below!)
(3) Add vanilla to bowl of sugar & mix (and squish those gobs so the little flecks spread out).
(4) Put the 2vanilla beans in the jar
(5) Pour vanilla sugar over the beans & seal tightly
(6)  Let vanilla sugar sit for 2 weeks before using to get the maximum flavor
(7) Take 1/2 a cup of either the vanilla brown sugar, powdered sugar, sweetener or regular sugar and pour it into one of the small jars (if repackaging). You can transfer a vanilla bean over to the small jar if you prefer. You can decorate the jar with ribbon or twine & attach a gift tag.

 2 whole vanilla beans:

 I ordered 16 off of Amazon:

 The flecks up close (it kinda looks like caviar):

The empty bean pods:

 The sugar before mixing:

 

White Rabbit Coffee Co.'s Vanilla Bean Ice Blended - Yucaipa, CA

White Rabbit Coffee Co.
35256 Yucaipa Blvd
Yucaipa, CA 92399

Friday, 10/7/11

They also have good sandwiches here, but I didn't take a picture of mine (turkey with honey mustard, which I usually don't really like, but I loved it in this sandwich). I went here with Kavita and then went back with her again after we were done with our school business for drinks.

 I really should try their coffee before I post about a coffee place like this, but oh well. Someday. They had a few delicious-sounding flavors like Kona, Hawaiian Hazelnut, French Caramel, Highlander Grog (ok not sure what that one is), & Pumpkin Spice.

 

I thought The Coffee Bean only uses the term "ice blended." I really want to try a coffee-flavored ice blended here, but this time I chose the Vanilla Bean because that was the first one the employee recommended to me. Also, I've been a little obsessed with real vanilla beans lately. I'll tell you why later. Or maybe I should wait until after Christmas because it'll give away my holiday gift ideas. Hmmm...

I know it just looks like white frothy stuff, but it has little vanilla bean specks, and it really tastes like vanilla. Would I buy it again? If I had a vanilla craving...yes...but it's not one of my all-time favorite drinks. I'd give it a B+ if I had to grade it, although if you like vanilla, I'd give it an A. I reserve my As for drinks like Peet's Caffe Freddo Extra Bold and The Coffee Bean's Black Forest Iced Blended.