Monthly Recipe - Vanilla Extract and Banana Bread

Since the garden is slow to get going this year, I am not sad that the recipes I chose to share this month are Bread Recipes.  I am known for my famous Zucchini Bread – I have shared that recipe before, you can find it here.  This past Christmas I made zucchini bread and used the vanilla I made myself to create it.  The flavor was much richer than with distilled vanilla, so I thought I would share with you how to make your own vanilla extract.

I will  start, however, with the first recipe for this month I have a simple one- Banana Bread.  Most of the breads I will include are quick breads, those that do not require yeast, however I do have a couple yeast recipes you might like, too.

Banana Bread

• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup butter
• 2 eggs
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract (see below)
• 3 very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
• 1 ¾ cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp dried cinnamon basil leaves, crumbled
• ¼ tsp cinnamon or allspice, but I recommend BYP Cinnful Dessert Blend which contains both
• Pinch salt
• ½ cup chopped walnuts, optional

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, Grease a 5 x 9 inch loaf pan.  With an electric mixer, cream together the sugars and butter until fluffy.  Reduce the speed and add eggs one at a time.  Add the vanilla and mashed bananas and mix well.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon basil, and cinnamon (or allspice or Cinnful Dessert Blend.)  Add to the banana mixture and mix until just combined.  Stir in nuts, if using.  Scrape the batter into the loaf pan and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 45 to 55 minutes more, until firm in center.  Let sit for 5 minutes on a wire rack, then run knife around edge and remove from pan.  Wait until cool to slice and serve.

Making your own vanilla extract

Alcohol can be used as a medium to make an extract.  If you are a baker, you will love experimenting with extract tinctures for flavoring cakes and cookies.

A tincture is an herbal extract made by infusing herbs in alcohol. This alcohol-based preparation is designed to preserve the natural benefits of chosen herbs and can be used to treat a variety of circumstances.

The alcohol—generally 100% vodka—extracts the medicinal constituents from the herbs, resulting in a strong and powerful concentration of the herb’s healing essence. Tincturing also allows the water in the alcohol to extract the water-soluble constituents from the herb, further increasing the tincture’s herbal potency.

This recipe is the simplest way to make your own liquid herbal extracts in your own home.

1.  Start with a clean 12 oz.  jar that has a tight-fitting lid and the herbs of your choice. If you can use fresh herbs this is best. Fresh material is always preferred but availability is determined by season you are making your extracts.  When making vanilla extract you need vanilla beans. One will be plenty.   

2.  Slit open the bean and scrape out the inside, then place the scrapings and the bean in the glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.

3.  Pour a good and strong alcohol, like vodka or everclear over the vanilla.  Completely cover the herbal material, and leave 2-3 inches of alcohol above the herbs.  100 proof alcohol is recommended, but you can also use grain alcohol.  When using grain alcohol, mix it with equal parts of purified water to create 50% alcohol to 50% water ratio. 

4. If using dried vanilla, you will need to add more alcohol over the next day or two as the dried herbs absorb and expand. A good ratio for dried material is about 1 part herb to 5 parts alcohol, and with fresh material 1 part herb to 3 parts alcohol.

5.  Cover with a tight-fitting lid, shake well, and place the jar in a dark place.  Allow the mixture to soak and macerate for 4 to 6 weeks. Shake every few days to help the alcohol extract the active constituents from the vanilla.

6.  After 4 to 6 weeks strain the vanilla out of the resulting liquid, which will have become very dark. Use a large strainer lined with fine mesh or cheesecloth. Make sure to tightly squeeze the material to extract every precious drop from the cloth. Funnel the material from your larger container into smaller bottles, preferably amber bottles and store in a cool dark place.  An herbal tincture will be good for at least 3-5 years, if not indefinitely.

Rich dark color of infused vanilla, just before straining

To find any recipe featured this month - use the search box and type: BreadJun

To find any theme recipe from this year type: recipe2018

For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:

   January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)

   February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

   March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

   May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

   June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

   July - Garden Delights

   August- Grilling

   September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly

   October - Squash Dishes

   November - Pumpkin Recipes

   December - Herbal Cocktails