Vanilla Bean Phobia - Cured!

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Ohhh! At the time I'm typing this it's 3:38 am & I've just put my Creme Caramel into the oven :-) It's never too early to bake for me :-P

To tell you honestly, I'm just TOO excited right now! *grinning like a fool at the moment!* No, it's not my first time baking Creme Caramel...I've baked it thousands of times before as it's one of my family's favorite dessert...The only difference this time is that I'm using real Vanilla Beans!!! No more using the Vanilla Essence like I always do...Ha...ha...Some of you might say it's nothing to crow about, right? Believe me, to me, it's a biggggggggggggggg thing as I've always felt so intimidated by the mere idea of using Vanilla Beans :-P Call me silly, but I considered Vanilla Beans as a luxury item in baking....Being a novice baker, I've always been too scared to use it in my cooking @ baking...Not that I don't love it ( cause I do! ), but I have this idea planted in my head that Vanilla Bean is an item used only by the professionals! :-)

Each time I watched those cooking programs & saw the Chefs using Vanilla Beans, I was filled with envy...Seeing them scrapping the beans & adding it to their cooking...Sigh! I can always imagined their food tasting soooooo delicious!

I do have Vanilla Beans stocked up in my pantry...It's been sitting in a jar, just waiting for me to gather enough courage to use it :-P You might be thinking what a silly thing for me to be so scared in using Vanilla Beans, ehhh? Let me tell you why...Not only do I think it's an item fit only for professionals, but the price here in Malaysia is quite expensive! Roughly it's RM20 per pod ( equivalent to USD6.36 per pod )!! Imagine me using it & screwed up my recipe...Gosh! What a waste that would be!

I was cleaning up my kitchen just now when I suddenly felt that it's time for me to face my phobia of using Vanilla Beans...After all, if you want to succeed, you have to be willing to make mistakes, rite? If I don't try, how else would I know what Vanilla Beans can do to my cooking, rite?

Gosh! I'm sure glad I've faced my fears in using Vanilla Beans! I can't believe what a difference a pod of Vanilla Bean could make to my Creme Caramel! Not only  does it releases such an inviting aroma while I steep it in boiling milk, but it also intensified the taste of Vanilla in the Creme Caramel! Even right now, the smell that's whiffing through my oven is sooooooo yummylicious! I really can't wait to taste it later, but of course I need to cool my caramel first :-P

Now that I've faced my phobia of using Vanilla Beans, I'm sooooooo looking forward to adding it in my other recipes! Owhhh!! I can already imagine tonnes of recipes that I'm gonna alter ;-)

To those facing similar phobia as I did, I do encourage you to try the Vanilla Beans! Go ahead & give it a try ;-) If I can do it, so can you...And if you are still pretty unsure, buzz me & I'll be more than happy to help you out :-P

It's nearing 5:00 am already & I guess it's time for me to hit the sack...Nighty nite all!! ( or should I bid good morning instead? )

**Psst! Hopefully I'll remember to snap a photo of my Creme Caramel with Vanilla Beans before it is being 'attacked' ;-)