Vanilla bean paste is a thick, syrupy mixture made from concentrated vanilla extract and real vanilla bean seeds. Think of it ...

wrinkled beans we use as a spice. Because the pods take so long to process, vanilla is very expensive, especially if you buy them individually in supermarkets. I occasionally buy them by the pound ...

However, if you manage to buy some fresh vanilla beans, it's great to use those instead -- but it is definitely not a 1-to-1 substitution. Vanilla seeds straight from the pod have a much more ...