A Nerd Cooks

... and bakes and mixes the occasional cocktail!

Sous Vide

Sous Vide Vanilla Extract

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Homemade vanilla extract comes together quickly and easily via sous vide

This sous vide vanilla extract is just what you need to kick start your holiday baking! Make it with vodka OR bourbon, depending on your preference!

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Sous Vide Vanilla Extract | A Nerd Cooks

Every baker needs a good quality vanilla extract in their pantry

This is true no matter what time of year it is. BUT! The holiday season is upon us!

If you’re like me, there will be a lot of baking going on at this time of year. And just about every recipe for baked goods lists vanilla extract as an ingredient.

“Why is that?”, you might be asking. Well, vanilla extract’s role in baked goods is sort of the same as salt in savory foods (though you should definitely also use salt in all of your baked goods… a lecture for another day): It enhances all of the other flavors in the recipe.

Since it’s an integral ingredient, you might as well make it a good  quality one!

Sous Vide Vanilla Extract | A Nerd Cooks

Why make it yourself instead of buying it at the store?

Sure, you can buy vanilla extract at the store. I do it sometimes. BUT I’d argue that there are some pretty good reasons for making your own at home.

Cost

One of the biggest reasons (that I can think of) to make homemade vanilla extract is the cost savings! Think about it, decent quality vanilla extract is at least $6 per OUNCE at the grocery store. 

Now, let’s talk about this homemade version. Let’s assume that you’re making this with a mid-range vodka (Smirnoff; which costs about $0.42 per oz), quart Mason jars (32 oz), and vanilla beans that cost about $3 per bean. You with me?

So…: 32 oz Mason jar * $0.42 per oz vodka = $13.44

Using 1 vanilla bean per 8 oz of vodka means $3 per bean * 4 = $12

$13.44 + $12 = $25.44

NOW, take the total amount of $25.44 and divide that by 32 oz and you get… approximately $0.80 PER OUNCE. That’s 7.5 times less expensive than the store bought stuff. 7.5 times cheaper!

So, yeah. It’s way cheaper. Also, sorry for doing math on a food blog. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Customization; Flavor and quality

You can customize your vanilla extract to meet your preferences.  Take each of the preparations in this recipe, for instance. I think the more typical preparation would involve the use of plain vodka. It’s great that way.

BUT I tend to prefer my vanilla made with bourbon. Y’all know that I have a serious affinity for the stuff. Just take a look around my blog. 

Basically, you do you. Make one, or both! Either way, you know it’s going to be great quality stuff that tastes fantastic.

Speed! (thanks to sous vide)

Making homemade vanilla extract the old fashioned way (putting split vanilla beans in a container with liquor and then stashing it away) can take weeks or months to make.

When you make it with sous vide, you’re done within a matter of hours! That means you can start baking that much quicker.

Sous Vide Vanilla Extract | A Nerd Cooks

What should I make with this homemade vanilla extract?

Lots of things! Use this homemade vanilla extract in every baked good that calls for vanilla extract!

If I may, allow me to make one specific suggestion. The bourbon version of this homemade vanilla extract would be particularly good when baked into these Maple Bourbon Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies. There cannot be enough bourbon flavor. 

Looking for other recipes that can be made using sous vide?

I made some really delicious Homemade Sous Vide Limoncello earlier this year. Peel some lemons, add some vodka, and sous vide for a couple of hours before mixing with some simple syrup. Boom. Done.

And let’s not forget my Crab Cake Eggs Florentine! The hollandaise sauce was made using the sous vide. It seriously couldn’t have been easier. If you’re having people over for brunch, I’d definitely recommend this method for making hollandaise.

When talking sous vide I always need to give a shoutout to Chelsea over at A Duck’s Oven. Her blog is fab, and her sous vide cookbook is 10/10!

AND if you’re looking to invest in an immersion circulator/sous vide, consider this one from Anova. I have the model that was available prior to this newer one, and really like it. 

Sous Vide Vanilla Extract | A Nerd Cooks

Sous Vide Vanilla Extract

Yield: 4 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes

This sous vide vanilla extract is just what you need to kick start your holiday baking! Make it with vodka OR bourbon, depending on your preference!

Ingredients

  • 4 vanilla bean pods (see notes)
  • 4 cups plain vodka OR bourbon

Instructions

  1. Split the vanilla beans down the center. Add them to a quart Mason jar.
  2. Add the plain vodka or bourbon to the Mason jar. Tighten the lid to finger tight.
  3. Set your sous vide for 135 degrees F.
  4. Once the water had preheated, add the Mason jar to the water and cook for at least 4 hours (see notes).
  5. Allow the vanilla extract to cool to room temperature.

Notes

  • Use a mid-range liquor. Think Smirnoff, not Grey Goose.
  • Use at least one vanilla bean for every cup of liquor
  • Let your extract cook for at least 4 hours. I ended up letting mine go for about 6 to achieve the color that you see in the photos.
  • You can either remove the vanilla beans from the Mason jar or leave them in; it's up to you!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 64 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 34Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g

This calculation is based on a 1 tbs serving size.

© Lauren Pacek
Cuisine: American / Category: Sous Vide

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Sous Vide Limoncello

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Making homemade limoncello using your sous vide is so easy!

Seriously, making Sous Vide Limoncello couldn’t be easier. You also only need 4 ingredients. AND it’s delicious! 

Making limoncello using the sous vide means that it will come together SO much more quickly than when using traditional methods. Using conventional methods, you would allow the lemon zest to infuse the vodka for weeks or months. 

And sure, it’s delicious when made that way, too. But sometimes we want our limoncello and we want it now. Or, like 2 hours from now.

So how do you do it?

You’ll want to start by washing and scrubbing your lemons really well. This is because most lemons that you’ll get at the grocery store are coated in wax.

Once your lemons are squeaky clean, you’ll want to remove the zest from all of the lemons. You can either use a microplane to zest the lemons or a vegetable peeler. Whichever method you use, try to make sure that you’re only removing the yellow zest, and not the bitter white pith that’s underneath.

Place all of the zest in the bottom of a quart Mason jar. I use a wide-mouth variety, and really like them.

Next: add the vodka

Once the lemons have been zested, you’ll fill the Mason jar with plain vodka.

I’m of the opinion that you don’t necessarily need to use top shelf vodka here. No need to break out the Grey Goose or Belvedere (though I’m sure both would yield a lovely end product). I tend to stick with a more middle-of-the-road, but still good quality vodka, like Smirnoff. Use something that you would feel good about using in a mixed drink.

It’s time for the Mason jar to take a dip!

You’ll start by screwing a lid onto the Mason jar, finger tight. Preheat your water bath to 135 degrees F and submerge the jar in the water. “Cook” for 2 hours.

If you’re looking for a sous vide/immersion circulator, check out this one from Anova. I have the model that was available just before this one.

After that, the process is as simple as allowing the contents of the jar to cool, straining out and discarding the peels, and mixing the vodka with simple syrup.

What should I do with all of those lemons that I zested?

This Sweet and Tart Homemade Lemonade is a good place to start! Homemade Lemon Curd is also a good bet, though you will need to zest a few more lemons.

The Hollandaise sauce on these Crab Cakes Eggs Florentine also use a little lemon juice. AND the Hollandaise is made with the sous vide.

Sous Vide Limoncello

Yield: 6 cups (32 - 1.5 oz servings)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • zest of 10 lemons (see notes)
  • 4 cups vodka (see notes)
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. Place the lemon zest in a quart Mason jar. Fill with vodka. Place the lid on the jar and tighten to finger tight.
  2. Set your sous vide to 135 degrees F.
  3. Once preheated, place the Mason jar in the water and cook for 2 hours.
  4. After 2 hours, allow the limoncello to cool to room temperature.
  5. While it cools, combine the water and sugar in a saucepan (you're making a simple syrup). Bring to a boil, whisking so that the sugar dissolves completely. Remove the mixture from the heat.
  6. Strain the lemon zest from the limoncello and combine the vodka mixture and simple syrup.
  7. Refrigerate in an airtight container.

Notes

  • Make sure to really scrub the lemons in order to remove the wax that's on the skin.
  • Personally, I don't think that you need to go all out and use top shelf liquor. However, I wouldn't use well vodka, either. Something middle of the road (that you'd feel good about using in a mixed drink) will work. I used Smirnoff.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 32 shot-sized (1.5 oz) servings Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 120Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 0g
© Lauren Pacek
Cuisine: Italian / Category: Cocktails

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Crab Cake Eggs Florentine (Sous Vide)

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Crab Cake Eggs Florentine is a delicious, decadent, and downright fancy brunch dish. Sous vide-ing the hollandaise sauce and eggs makes things so much easier!

Even though you might not immediately know what the difference between Eggs Benedict and Eggs Florentine is, you’re probably familiar with both of these popular brunch dishes. They both involve a toasty English Muffin, poached egg, and hollandaise sauce. Florentine has spinach instead of Canadian bacon or ham (a la Benedict). Now you know.

Both options are so good. I opted for Eggs Florentine here. That spinach means it’s healthy, right? No? Okay.

I figured that pretty much the only thing that could make this dish better is the addition of a crab cake. And don’t forget the Old Bay. I professed my deep love of Old Bay here, in this post about Air Fryer Chicken Wings.

This post contains affiliate links.

Crab Cake Eggs Florentine (Sous Vide) | A Nerd Cooks

This is the first sous vide recipe on this blog!

So, what is sous vide? Sous vide means “under vacuum”. Basically what you do is place uncooked  plastic pouch (and vacuum all of the air out) or maybe a glass jar and cook the food in a water bath at a precise temperature. I know, it sounds kind of weird. But if you have more questions, I suggest that you head over to the blog A Duck’s Oven. She’s an expert!

After a little hemming and hawing, I ended up getting this Anova model. I’ve been really happy with it. So far, we’ve made steaks (several times), stuffed burgers, along with the hollandaise sauce and soft poached eggs in this post.

I’m pretty excited to share this first sous vide recipe with you all. Stay tuned for more in the future!

Crab Cake Eggs Florentine (Sous Vide) | A Nerd Cooks

This is a fancy looking recipe, but don’t be daunted!

I know that there are kind of a lot of steps involved in making this recipe. Despite this, all of the steps are very easy. Even the hollandaise sauce is super easy. Basically, all you do is dump the ingredients in a jar, let them cook in the water bath, and blend! Easy peasy. And honestly, the payoff at the end of this recipe is sooo worth it.

Crab Cake Eggs Florentine (Sous Vide) | A Nerd Cooks

Before we get to the recipe, I need to make a couple of plugs:

The beautiful plate in these photos was made by Matt Hallyburton. Please head over to Hallyburton Pottery and check out what he has to offer!

The recipe for the sous vide hollandaise sauce comes from Chelsea over at A Duck’s Oven. Go check her blog out for lots of tasty recipes (especially those involving sous vide)!

Crab Cake Eggs Florentine (Sous Vide) | A Nerd Cooks

Crab Cake Eggs Florentine (Sous Vide)

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Crab Cake Eggs Florentine is a delicious, decadent, and downright fancy brunch dish. Making the hollandaise sauce and eggs using sous vide makes things so much easier!

Ingredients

Sous Vide Hollandaise Sauce

  • 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbs shallot, minced
  • 10 tbs unsalted butter
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2 tbs lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbs water
  • 4 large eggs

Garlicky Spinach

  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 cups baby spinach, loosely packed
  • kosher salt

Everything Else

Instructions

To make the Sous Vide Hollandaise Sauce

  • Using your immersion circulator, preheat the water bath to 167 degrees F.
  • Add all of the ingredients to a wide-mouthed Mason jar. Screw the on lid to just “finger-tight.”
  • Once the water has preheated, add the jar. Make sure all of the ingredients are completely submerged under the water line. You might have to stack a mug or something on top of the jar to keep it from floating up and around in the water bath. Cook for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the jar from water bath. Remove the lid. Insert the immersion blender into the jar and blend until the hollandaise is smooth and thick (should take about 2 minutes).
  • If you'd like to thin it out a bit, you can add some water and blend again.

To make the Sous Vide Soft Poached Egg

  • Using a slotted spoon, gently slide the eggs into the bottom of the preheated (167 degrees F) water bath.
  • Allow them to cook in the water bath for 12 minutes.
  • Again using the slotted spoon, remove the eggs to an ice bath (to stop the cooking) for a about 1 minute.

To make the Garlicky Spinach

  • Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the garlic and sauté just until fragrant.
  • Add the baby spinach, one handful at a time (and stirring occasionally), until wilted.
  • Season with kosher salt, to taste.

To assemble everything

  • Heat the prepared crab cakes according to package directions.
  • Toast the English muffins and place 1/4 of the cooked spinach on the bottom half of each English muffin. Reserve the tops for sopping up the egg yolks and hollandaise.
  • Place a crab cake on top of the spinach.
  • Place one soft poached egg on top of each crab cake. To remove the eggs from their shells, you want to gently crack into the bottom of each egg. Once you peel away the shell at the bottom of the egg, the soft poached eggs will slide right out.
  • Drizzle some hollandaise on top of the poached egg and dust with a little Old Bay seasoning.

Notes

  • If you prepare the crab cakes, spinach, and English muffins while the hollandaise sauce and eggs cook, you can have this fancy brunch on the table in about 30 minutes of active cooking time!
  • Hollandaise sauce cannot be reheated. Trust.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 665Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 529mgSodium: 2131mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 38g
© Lauren Pacek
Cuisine: American / Category: Sous Vide

Looking for other breakfast and brunch recipes?

Crab Cake Eggs Florentine (Sous Vide) | A Nerd Cooks Crab Cake Eggs Florentine (Sous Vide) | A Nerd Cooks