A friend stopped by work today and brought these beauties: Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans!  They were wrapped in bundles with cellophane, and secured in a Ziploc bag, but even those measures didn’t prevent the scent of them distracting me the rest of the work day.  She has no idea how wonderful of a treat this was!  I have heard of how glorious the beans are, and how they infuse whatever they touch with a sweet, buttery decadence, but I was always put off about buying them because of their price.

At home, I unwrapped them: their smell is utterly intoxicating.  If heaven is real, then I bet this is what it smells like.

My friend also supplied me with several recipes on how to use them.  As I type this, I am in the process of making two batches of homemade Kahlua.  🙂

I followed the advice of my mama and started a bottle of “never-ending vanilla extract”.  She instructed me to add two slit beans to a little bottle of vodka.  After about a month, it’s ready.  She said that every time you use a little, you replenish with more vodka, thus being “never-ending”.  Cool.

I plan on making vanilla-bean oatmeal for breakfast tomorrow, but I am curious….

Does anyone have a favorite recipe using Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans you would like to share?