Several years ago when we created our recipe for our Signature Chocolate Chip cookie we tested every vanilla we could find and quickly concluded that Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla (MBV) was and remains simply the best. The full bodied vanilla is layered with several layers of flavor and fragrance that soothes the soul and pleases the palate. Back then, very few people had ever heard of MBV, but now we see more and more people specifically asking us about it. For those of you that bake at home there is no excuse for using an imitation vanilla, you can really taste the difference.
Bourbon? Madagascar is an island off the east coast of Africa and the term Bourbon applies to beans grown on the Bourbon Islands. There is no connection with the liquor produced in Kentucky in the US. MBV is described as having a creamy, sweet, smooth mellow flavor - www.nielsenmassey.com
Why is MBV so expensive? Reason #1: These long fragrant beans come from an orchid that only blooms one day a year and must be hand polinated. Each flower will produce several beans, ripening at different times. In Madagascar this is done on small family owned plantations.
Reason #2: Storms! In March of 2004 cyclone Garfilo struck Madagascar with 146 mph winds, went out to sea, doubled back and struck again! This was called the worst cyclone in 20 years by the government. As a direct result the price of MBV went from $98 to over $450 a gallon. At Best Regards we were determined to outlast the storm and kept on using it. That was a very long year!
In the end, there are no shortcuts to wonderful sweet treats other than to use the best ingredients you can afford and find. You can buy a bottle of imitation vanilla for $3 that you will have for 3 years or you can invest in a bottle of MBV for $20 that will reward you with wonderful cookies, cakes and ice cream for the next 3 years. You pick.
What makes European Cocoa so special? The short answer is follow the money - cocoa butter. To best understand this you need to have a basic understanding of how chocolate is made. This is overly simplified, but still makes the point. Manufacturers take cacao beans that grow inside cacao pods, sun dry them, roast and then grind them into a fine paste that is called chocolate liqueur. This is too bitter for most of us to eat as there is no added sugar or milk.
At this point a very heavy press can be applied so that the liquid is released (cocoa butter) and what is left is called cocoa powder. The real money is in the cocoa butter as it is used in confections, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Conglomo Chocolate has a european style cocoa that is marketed with about 12% cocoa butter still included. The Cocoa Powder that Best Regards uses has 24% cocoa butter and has a wonderful mouth-feel and flavor. This is a number to look for if you are baking at home. The percentage listed on chocolate bars is another matter that I will discuss later.
European butter made in Wisconsin! Yeah right, then who is buried in Grants Tomb?
Yes, it is true, we only use European butter in all of our big fresh baked cookies (even the oatmeal). The simple reason is that I have tested our recipes with everything the same except for the butter and the clear majority can tell the difference and prefer the European over the regular butter. I have had skeptics tell me I am making this up and you can’t tell the difference. I always ask them, can you tell the difference between whole milk (about 3% butterfat) and skim milk (0.5%)? Can you tell the difference between Cold Stone Creamery ice cream and cheap grocery store ice cream?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture set the standard for butter to have a minimum of 80% butterfat. U.S. butter manufacturers, being the fiscally responsible people they are, that is all that they use - butterfat is where the money is. Europeans, having a longer history of being foodies require a more luxurious 82% - 83%. That extra 3% can make a huge difference, especially in baking. If you shop around you can probably find European butter, but remember the key is the percentage of butterfat, not where it is made so read the label. Chances are it will be unsalted, so watch the expiration date (salt is an effective preservative). Be sure to freeze it if you are not planning on using it right away.
If you love to bake on your own, start a baking journal where yo ukeep track of the changes you test out on your recipes and their impact. One time bake up your favorite cookie and try a different butter or vanilla (future post). You may surprise yourself and your family.
Who is buried in Grants Tomb? No one is “buried” there. President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife are entombed, not buried there. It is a huge beautiful above ground building. A very famous trick question. You never know what you will learn and where.