Poll of the Day > Gonna make brownies maybe but I don't have vanilla what should I use?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Used up the last of my vanilla extract making frosting for some carrot cake.

Leaning towards honey. I have some coffee brewed already but I would've made the coffee stronger if I planned on using it for brownies. The coffee is sort of moderately strong.

---

I've had good results substituting maple syrup for vanilla, 1:1. It's not perfect, but a chunk of maple syrup's flavour actually comes from vanillin, so it gives a reasonable approximation. Using coffee will be a very different flavour and you should probably still use vanilla (or a substitute) anyway in conjunction with it (if in smaller quantities than you might without the coffee). I don't find honey to be a strong enough flavour to be noticeable over the flavour of chocolate, so unless you're using it just for sweetening purposes, I wouldn't bother with it.

---

Maple syrup is a good substitute for vanilla extract. Just use the same amount of syrup that you would use for ve.

---

Maple syrup sounds good...
---

See I'm glad I asked, I wasn't thinking maple syrup because I thought the maple flavor might be too strong but its a small amount (I think 1 1/2 tsp) so it should be okay, that's why I was leaning toward honey though. Figured the honey would have that flowery accent that vanilla has. But now I'm leaning toward the syrup, thanks everyone

Only put coffee because I figure the coffee would heighten the chocolate

---

Marijuana

---

LinkPizza posted...

Maple syrup sounds good...

Honestly, in vanilla-like quantities (0.5-2 tsp per batch), you don't actually get that much maple flavour. If you want to actually add maple flavour, you're better off going for a tbsp or two, otherwise you just get the sort of "background flavour" that vanilla provides.

---

Far-Queue posted...

Only put coffee because I figure the coffee would heighten the chocolate

It will, and those would be good brownies, but you'll still want a bit of vanilla in there to round it out. It's well worth doing, just not as a vanilla substitute.

---

Went with syrup, my daughter "helped". They're cooling now we'll have some after lunch and I'll report back

I made one small error but I don't think it'll make much difference. Recipe calls for a 1/2 tsp salt added to the flour/cocoa mixture and I added it to the egg/sugar/butter mixture by mistake but I threw it in right before I started sifting in the flour/cocoa so it should be fine

Also used my stand mixer instead of the hand mixer (which I prefer for brownie batter). Couldn't find my hand mixer any where

---

---

They're a little over done (got distracted making lunch) but they taste good

---

I've made chocolate chip cookies using coffee extract instead of vanilla.

---

Coffee extract is concentrated enough to take over vanilla's place, though again, it'll be a very different flavour. Depending on what you're making, you can also directly add coffee grounds to give a coffee flavour, provided it's something where the texture won't be a problem (cookies=good, custard=bad). That can be really handy if the extra liquid from adding coffee itself would mess with the dough/batter's consistency (such as with cookies).

---

Personally Id play it safe and use all three

---

Think I'm gonna try gingersnaps next, I've never made those. Gotta pick up some molasses, though.

I'd like a do-over on the brownies since I overcooked them but I don't like to make the same thing twice in a row unless I'm making big batches for a party or something.

Mead posted...

Personally Id play it safe and use all three

Finally some big brain thinking

---

I don't think I've ever done ginger snaps either, though I have done soft molasses cookies. I took two of those and sandwiched an eggnog buttercream between them, which was amazing.

---

Cream cheese

---

Lil_Bit83 posted...

Cream cheese

I've had these kind of brownies but I'm not crazy about them. Don't like frosted brownies, either.

I mean, I gotta nasty sweet tooth so I'll eat pretty much any baked good you put within arms reach, but I prefer plain ol' brownies

Made brown sugar oatmeal cookies this morning (didn't get molasses for ginger snaps, yet) with my daughter. This might become a trend with us. She's 4 1/2 and I asked her what she wanted to do this morning and she said bake :))) good father-daughter time

---

Far-Queue posted...

Don't like frosted brownies, either.

What about ones that are topped with ganache? Caramel? Compote? All of the above?

---

I never turn down a good ganache

---

I once made a batch of brownies that I topped with an italian meringue, cherry compote, and a dark chocolate ganache. I... had some regrets.

---

adjl posted...

What about ones that are topped with ganache? Caramel? Compote? All of the above?

Isn't ganache technically in the same family as frosting?
---

Revelation34 posted...

Isn't ganache technically in the same family as frosting?

Depends who you talk to. Some people will using "frosting/icing" to refer to pretty much anything you can spread or drizzle on a cake (it usually doesn't include rolled coverings like marzipan or rolled fondant), some people will mostly just use them to refer to buttercream variants. Generally speaking, if I see somebody talking about something like "frosted brownies," I presume they're just referring to brownies with buttercream on them, even though there are many other options for covering brownies that could also qualify for that label.

---

adjl posted...

What about ones that are topped with ganache? Caramel? Compote? All of the above?

I would eat those. With extreme prejudice.

Here's our cookies. They came out perfect



---

I'd eat those.

Man, now I want oatmeal cookies. All I've got baking-wise are a few costco chocolate chip cookies and some bread pudding (with a really delightful orange toffee sauce, plus I had some last night with some mulled apple cider, which was amazing), which are each good in their own rights, but neither scratch that particular itch.

---

Far-Queue posted...

I've had these kind of brownies but I'm not crazy about them. Don't like frosted brownies, either.

I mean, I gotta nasty sweet tooth so I'll eat pretty much any baked good you put within arms reach, but I prefer plain ol' brownies

Made brown sugar oatmeal cookies this morning (didn't get molasses for ginger snaps, yet) with my daughter. This might become a trend with us. She's 4 1/2 and I asked her what she wanted to do this morning and she said bake :))) good father-daughter time

Fair point. Hope you guys have lotsa fun baking together. :)

---

Try chocolate instead.

---

I want to make some blondies.
---