"If you're infusing milk or cream for custards or sauces, vanilla bean seeds are unbeatable," she says. It's worth the splurge for the deep flavor you'll get by infusing your dairy with the bean.

Then, use the back of the knife to gently scrape out the seeds—the bean’s "caviar.” Stir these directly into your batter, dough, or custard to infuse your creation with intense vanilla flavor.

Retired Air Force veteran Jon Hanson turned his vanilla-making hobby into a business, sourcing beans from Madagascar, Mexico ...

And so here’s my essay on the importance of the vanilla bean. From custard to candles, we live in a world suffused with vanilla, and the plant that produces it is in danger. Extracted from the ...

Infused into the cream, the round flavor of the vanilla bean offsets the tartness of the passion fruit. A smidge of gelatin assists in the set. Serve unadorned, or top with passion fruit seeds (if ...