Vanilla beans are often overlooked as a expensive, inconvenient, “I-don’t-know-what-to-do-with-this” product. It is true that they take a little getting used to compared to the ubiquitous vanilla extract, and they are definitely a premium item. But, if you can find it in your heart to buy some beans just once, vanilla sugar might win you…
Crème Pâtissière
(AKA Pastry Cream!) Crème Pâtissière is, at the center of it’s little French heart, just a custard thickened with a starch to make a sturdy confectioner’s product. By the way, custards themselves have a long and colourful history, dating back as far as the Middle Ages! Who knew? Well, that means it definitely counts as retro!…