Oh, Nuts!

Vanilla Apple Pudding Recipe from Nielsen-Massey Vanilla

I’m about 10 minutes away from putting on my yard-working clothes and “getting after it” in the yard. There are weeds to pull, Autumn decorations to put out, and pears and apples to pick. Around this time every year, I look for new ways to enjoy fresh apples and Nielsen-Massey Vanillas is providing me with endless ideas this autumn. Nielsen-Massey is my “go to” brand for vanilla extract and, yes sir/ma’am, it does make a HUGE difference when you use quality vanilla in your recipes.

I love to cook with (and just flat-out eat) apples primarily because they’re delicious – but they’re also uncommonly healthy. The saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” has more legs to stand on than a centipede. For a great article about the MANY health benefits of apples, click the link.

Apple pie, apple cider and applesauce are traditional uses of course, and you can never go wrong with any of them. Below, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, the vanilla specialists, suggest additional ways to enjoy freshly picked apples in autumn baked creations.

• Combine Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, brown sugar and cream cheese for a simple, tasty apple spread.
• Add a splash of Tahitian Pure Vanilla Extract to applesauce to enhance its fruity taste.
• Stir Pure Almond Extract into whipped cream or whipped topping to garnish apple cake.
• Use Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste to glaze pie crusts for apple pies.
• Vanilla Apple Pudding (recipe below) is an easy at-home recipe that combines crisp apples with quality Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract.

“Using seasonal ingredients adds an undeniably clean element to any dish,” says Beth Nielsen, ­­chief culinary officer of Nielsen-Massey. “Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanillas ensure that your produce won’t be tainted by artificial ingredients and the fresh flavors will shine through.”

Nielsen-Massey uses a proprietary cold extraction process which gently coaxes the maximum flavor possible from the beans. The result is a sweet, creamy, mellow Pure Vanilla that is an excellent ingredient for general cooking and baking.

{To make the recipe gluten-free, substitute gluten-free all purpose flour for the regular flour.}

Vanilla Apple Pudding

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
2 eggs
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 cups coarsely chopped cored peeled apples
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cream the butter, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat until the batter is fluffy. Add the flour, baking soda and cinnamon and mix well; the dough will be crumbly.

Add the apples and walnuts and mix just until incorporated. Press over the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the top and press into the dough mixture. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Serve warm. Garnish with a dollop of Nielsen-Massey’s Signature Whipped Cream.

Serves 15

Gourmet Vanilla Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste
2 tablespoons sifted confectioners’ sugar

Whip the cream in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer on medium-high until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla bean paste and confectioner’s sugar.

Add a dollop of whipped cream to each serving of the vanilla apple pudding.

Nielsen-Massey Vanilla is an aromatic ingredient that enhances the flavor of the hand-picked apples and uncovers rich fall flavors.

If only I had walnuts on hand, I’d make Vanilla Apple Pudding for our Biggest Loser snacks tonight – I have all the other ingredients.  I’m tempted to try them without the walnuts this time… after all, I’ll be too busy in the yard to run to the store.  Sigh.

About Nielsen-Massey Vanillas:
Throughout its more than 100 year history, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas has earned its reputation as a manufacturer of the finest extracts in the world. The full line of Nielsen-Massey’s Pure Vanilla products include: Vanilla Beans and Extracts from Madagascar, Tahiti and Mexico; sugar and alcohol-free Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Powder; Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste; Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar and Certified Organic Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract and Beans.

Nielsen-Massey Vanillas recently introduced a line of Pure Flavors: Pure Chocolate Extract, Pure Almond Extract, Pure Orange Extract, Pure Lemon Extract, Pure Coffee Extract, Pure Peppermint Extract, Orange Blossom Water and Rose Water. All Nielsen-Massey products are Allergen-Free and certified Kosher and Gluten-Free. The company is headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois, with production facilities in Waukegan and Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.