Vanilla Bean Hard Sauce Recipes

VANILLA BEAN RUM OR BRANDY BUTTER (HARD SAUCE)

Steps:

• Beat butter until light and fluffy (I use a hand held mixer).
• Gradually blend in the powdered sugar; add vanilla and cream, beating well to combine.
• Beat in the rum, to taste.
• Transfer to a pretty glass serving bowl, dust with nutmeg.
• Cover with cling film and refrigerate several hours or overnight, or may be packed into jars for holiday gift giving.
• Serve as a rich topping over warm holiday desserts such as Christmas pudding, soft gingerbread or spicecake, or apple or mince pies and tarts.
• Keeps for several weeks in the refrigerator.

VANILLA BEAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Saute shallots, add wine, and peeled vanilla bean. Boil down slowly (about 2 hours); stir occasionally. Add cream simmer down. Add salt, pepper and sugar. Serve warm over cooked lobster.

AUNT JEANNIE'S HARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer (MUCH easier than by hand as my aunt did), beat butter until creamy.
• Add sugar and blend well; stir in milk.
• Add brandy and vanilla, one teaspoon at a time to prevent separation.
• If sauce begins to separate, add more sugar.
• Turn into serving dish and decorate, if desired.
• Chill.

VANILLA BEAN HARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Note: one 6 inch vanilla bean equals about 1 tablespoon extract,if you want to substitute extract for vanilla bean.
• But using the vanilla bean seeds is so much more tasty!
• Scrape tiny vanilla beads into sugar,stir well.
• Combine with buter into mixing bowl.
• Beat at medium speed of electric mixture until well blended.
• Serve on Apple Berry Cobbler (another Recipezaar recipe),or any other fruit pie,pound cakes,etc.

VANILLA SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Sprinkle the cornstarch over 1/2 cup of the milk in a small bowl and whisk to dissolve. Add the sugar and egg yolks and whisk well.
• 2. Bring the remaining 2 cups of the milk and the vanilla bean just to a simmer in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over low heat. Remove the bean, scrape the vanilla seeds into the milk, and discard the bean. Gradually whisk the egg yolk mixture into the milk.
• 3. Cook, whisking often, until the sauce comes to a full boil, about 3 minutes. If using vanilla extract, stir it in now. Strain through a wire sieve into a bowl. Serve warm.
• MAKE AHEAD
• The sauce can be prepared up to 1 day ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated. Reheat in the top part of a double boiler over simmering water.

VANILLA BEAN CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring the cream and vanilla bean to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
• Remove from the heat and let steep for 10 minutes.
• Remove the vanilla bean.
• Scrape out the tiny seeds with the tip of a knife, and add to the cream.
• Discard the vanilla bean and set aside.
• Place the sugar and corn syrup in a 3-quart saucepan, and mix with a wooden spoon until as much of the sugar is coated with the syrup as possible.
• Scrape any sugar back into the pan and turn the heat to medium.
• The sugar will begin to break down after 3 or 4 minutes.
• Stir once or twice, mixing the undissolved sugar into the warm liquid.
• When it becomes foamy after about 2 more minutes, stop stirring.
• Continue heating for 2 minutes until the syrup begins to turn medium brown.
• Whisk in the butter a little at a time and continue whisking until the mixture comes together.
• Remove from the heat and very slowly whisk in the cream a little at a time and continue whisking until the mixture comes together again.
• The caramel is extremely hot and initially will bubble up as the cream is being added.
• Return the saucepan to the burner over low heat and sir until the caramel sauce is completely smooth and all ingredients are incorporated (sauce will thicken as it cools).
• Allow the caramel to cool completely before storing in a covered container in the refrigerator.
• Serve warm.