Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla & Extracts Review (And a Giveaway)

Now that the colder weather is here I am in a baking mood, I love to fill the house with sweet scents and bake for my family and friends. And what does nearly each recipe call for? Some type of extract be it vanilla or almond, or peppermint etc.  So extracts are a  must. I have a great suggestion for you all  Nielsen-Massey extracts. Here is a little information Nielsen-Massey from the website:

Nielsen-Massey Vanillas. The finest pure vanilla in the world!  How do we stake such a claim? It starts with a family dedicated to pure vanilla products since 1907. Add the finest vanilla beans available - hand-picked for perfection, and the process has begun. Next, an exclusive cold extraction process slowly and gently draws the delicate and distinctive flavor from the vanilla beans. The result is the finest pure vanilla in the world -- perfect for the home cook or the discriminating chef.  Whether it is pure vanilla extract, vanilla powder, vanilla paste, organic vanilla or whole vanilla beans you're looking for, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas has the expertise to provide the highest quality products to fit your need.

As a family owned and managed business, Nielsen-Massey is committed to and truly cares about its customers. With this commitment comes a pledge to continue producing the world's finest Pure Vanillas batch after batch - a promise that has been kept for nearly a century.

I was very fortunate to be able to review the, Mexican Pure Vanilla:

Mexican vanilla is a rich marriage of sweet and woody notes with a deep, spicy character, similar to clove or nutmeg. Using our proprietary cold extraction process, we carefully draw out the over 300 distinctive flavor components inherent in the bean. The resulting origin-specific extract works especially well with chocolate, citrus fruits, cinnamon, cloves and other warm spices. The vanilla's spiciness also enables it to complement the spice of tomato sauces, barbecue sauces and salsas, smoothing out their heat and acidity. Even more, substitute in place of Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract and see what kind of culinary twist it gives to your favorite recipes, including cookies, cakes and ice creams.

And Pure Almond Extract

A baker's best friend, almond extract is one of the most popular flavors used in baking. Ours is made with the purest oil of bitter almond to deliver optimal results in flavor and quality. Aside from having a special affinity for fruits like raspberries, peaches and plums, Pure Almond Extract pairs deliciously well with vanilla, chocolate, maple and butterscotch. When used sparingly, it can also accent salad dressings, sauces, custards and ice cream.

My Review:

I love to bake, especially  when it gets cold outside. When I bake it just makes the house feel so warm and cozy and the smell is great.  When I found out that I could do a review of Nielsen-Massey Vanilla, and Almond extract  I was very excited. I have heard how much better real vanilla is but I just never got the chance to try the real thing, and tying a different kind of vanilla is a great thing.  So I made Apple Spice Baby Cakes with the Mexican Vanilla. Mexican Vanilla has a clove spicy, woodsy vanilla . This would work well with the spice cakes.

Apple Spice Babycakes

Ingredients

• 121-ounce can LUCKY LEAF^® Premium Apple Pie Filling
• 118.25-ounce package spice cake mix
• 3eggs
• 1Tablespoon butter
• 1 Teaspoon of Mexican Vanilla
• 2Tablespoons packed brown sugar
• ¼cup pretzels, crushed
• 3Tablespoons pecans, chopped
• vanilla ice cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease or line twenty-four 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with paper baking cups and set aside.

Chop one can of LUCKY LEAF Premium Apple Pie Filling into bite-sized chunks. Reserve 1/2-cup of  LUCKY LEAF Premium Apple Pie Filling for topping.

In a large mixing bowl combine cake mix, eggs, vanilla and Premium Apple Pie Filling. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes (batter will be thick).

Fill prepared muffin cups about 2/3 full with cake batter.

Bake about 20 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched.  

Cool in cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes.  Remove from cups and cool completely.

For streusel: In a small skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar and stir to combine. Add pretzels and pecans. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Place each cupcake on a dessert dish. If using paper cups, pull paper down around bottom of cupcake. Top cupcake with a small scoop of ice cream, then top with reserved  LUCKY LEAF Premium Apple Pie Filling and streusel.

And I have to say it turned out wonderful! Oh my goodness it was so delicious and the vanilla had a nice strong flavor. It was such a simple dish to make but the vanilla took it to another level. And everyone who tried this raved about it. I have to say the Mexican vanilla made the difference.

So what to make with the Almond extract… I have a great chocolate dipped cookie that calls for almond extract… But they are labor intensive and I only make them once a year… So what else could I make? We decided on almond extract pancakes. If you not familiar with the flavor of almond extract.. To me it does not taste like nuts at all, it has a sort of a cherry flavor it is very good.  We mixed up the instant pancake mix by following the directions on the box and I added a teaspoon of almond extract to the mix. The pancakes were very flavorful. My daughter just loved them and we will be making them again.

Overall I am very happy with the Mexican Vanilla and the Almond extract from Nielsen-Massey . I will be purchasing Nielsen-Massey Vanillas in the future. After checking out the site I saw that they have other flavorings such as coffee and lemon among others. They would be great to bake with. Make sure to check out the site for some fun facts about Vanilla, and they have some great recipes too!

If you are baking like I am make sure to pick up some real Nielsen-Massey Vanilla and extracts. Your baked goods will be that much better, and you can impress your guests, let them know it is real vanilla! Your baked goods will be the hit of the season.

The generous folks at Nielsen-Massey Vanilla are giving one of Susan’s Disney Family readers a chance to win a Mexican Vanilla, and Almond extract from Nielsen-Massey. Would you like to win? Please visit the site, take a look around then tell me what is the extract you would like to try the most. There are also other ways to enter, please enter below.

Buy it:

Please click here to find a list of locations to purchase.

Win it:

One winner will win a Mexican Vanilla, and Almond extract from Nielsen-Massey

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Susan S. Disclosure: The reviews and or opinions on this blog are my own opinions . I received 2 extracts to review.  No monitory compensation was received. I was not required to write a positive review. Your experience may differ. The opinions I have expressed are my own I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement and Testimonials in Advertising .