I used to buy vanilla pods and scoop out the beans, that is until I found this vanilla bean paste from Neilsen-Massey. It makes baking so much easier, even though admittedly I still love the scent of the pods, so I’ll probably buy them every now and then. But being a busy mom, the paste makes baking so much easier, yet desserts still get those flecks of vanilla bean that I love. For my first experiment, I used the paste in a recipe for panna cotta, which pairs well with so many summer fruits.
For an easy panna cotta recipe, read my post on Dean & DeLuca’s blog.
