Vanilla Bean Paste product reviews

Queen's organic vanilla bean paste was my first experience with vanilla bean paste. I grew up in a house where vanilla was an extract. It tasted nice in milkshakes and was added to baking occasionally, but it didn't really wow me. It wasn't until I started seriously baking cupcakes last year that I ventured into the wilderness that is proper vanilla. The kind of grainy vanilla that looks great, smells amazing and tastes divine.

This product is so versatile. Basically anytime a recipe calls for vanilla, I put the same serving of this paste in instead. I have tried it in cupcake batter. I have added it to a buttercream icing for a true vanilla taste. I've added it to pancake mix and cookies. I have added it to a smoothie, and to my morning coffee when I was out of my regular Vanilla Latte mix.

I love adding this to my ice cream mixture. It looks like a proper vanilla bean ice cream. The look, feel and taste of gourmet. After spooning it into the bowl, I always have a cheeky lick of the spoon. It's delicious even on it's own, though I do my best not to eat it straight from the jar! I love the little jar too, it's got a good lip on it and the lid seals well. Although it's quite pricey, I have had my little jar for about a year and there is still plenty in it.

I LOVE this Vanilla Bean Paste...well worth the dollars spent on it!! I have always been a fan of vanilla and back in the day I always had vanilla essence in the cupboard until I discovered this little pot of liquid gold.

Now this is the only vanilla product I buy from the supermarket. What an amazing taste...I thought vanilla essence was a great hit of taste but it has nothing on Vanilla Bean Paste...O...M...G!! In muffins, or cakes or biscuits, mixed into instant puddings Vanilla Bean Paste adds an extra something that turns good baking into great baking!!

A lot of recipes ask for 1 teaspoon of vanilla but when using Vanilla Bean Paste you only need half that amount to create the same taste, but if you like vanilla flavouring it is all up to you on how much you add but I have found you don't need a lot which helps the small jar to last even longer. Once you have used Vanilla Bean Paste you won't want to use anything else.

I was watching a cooking show on television and the cook was talking about different vanilla products and said she only ever used the top quality vanilla available as it added a genuine taste not a 'fake' vanilla taste like the vanilla essence liquid do within baking, so on my next supermarket visit I looked and saw this product and was shocked to see the price...so chose a vanilla extract which was a good product...well better than the essence I was buying.

The next time I went to the supermarket Vanilla Bean Paste was on special so I grabbed a pot and I haven't looked back....it's the only vanilla I purchase now and always look out for it when it is on special. If you love baking and you haven't used Vanilla Bean Paste try some now you will not regret the decision...it is a fantastic product and every good baker should own at least one pot!!

I have looked at buying this product so many times in the previous years and every time have always thought $11 (ish) OUCH no way am i paying that and walked away again. I always knew it was better than vanilla essence but my goodness i didnt know how much better till i finally gave in and tried it! Afer receiving the Miss Melicious cook book i decided it wasnt fair to try out the recipes without using the product she listed in her recipe so this was the final crunch in getting me to spend the money.

When i first went to use it (ive only ever had to use this a teaspoon at a time) i opened the lid and had a look in... A thick substance almost jelly like full of little black dots stared back at me... Oh how i wanted to taste it and i eventually did... Ew Yuck totally dont recommend that part! At the time i was making strawberry shortcake cupcakes and the only flavouring in the cupcakes was vanilla... In it went into the blender and i gave it a good mix before i tried it again... Immediately i was surprised at how good it tasted and how strong the vanilla flavour was.

Things only got better as the cupcakes cooked...They smelled divine! And once cooled and tasted they were even better than i could have ever expected. Yumm! They were full of flavour and seriously tasted like something you had brought it a shop. Finally i knew how people got products to actually taste like vanilla. Since this day i havent looked back... And i must say although expensive it is totally worth it for taste alone, but also ive baked a good 6 (at least) batches of cupcakes and im still on the first jar of the paste so it definately lasts a while.