The Rodelle Challenge and Baking for the Firemen #Review
Have you heard of the Rodelle Challenge?
Well, I’ll tell you all about it if you haven’t!
Bakers share their baking moment on the Rodelle Facebook page…the most creative posts with photos or videos are more likely to stand out. The winners are selected by the Rodelle team and with a variety of criteria. Everything from creativity to sentimentality is taken into consideration. Rodelle is sweetening the pot this year by adding a KitchenAid® Mixer to the three grand prizes, which include a yearlong supply of premium Rodelle baking essentials: vanilla beans, baking cocoa, pure vanilla extract, almond/lemon/anise extracts and vanilla sugar. Three runners up will win a yearlong supply of pure vanilla extract, vanilla beans, and rich dark baking cocoa. People are invited to upload entries from October 1 through December 25, 2011. Winners will be announced New Year’s Day, 2012.
Well how cool is that?
I think I have the sentimental part down since I bake for the firemen – what do you think?
No matter, I bake for them no matter what!
Since I had Rodelle vanilla beans to play with this week I wanted to make something that would allow the vanilla to shine. Hmmm, VANILLA WAFERS! Perfect!
First I will say that the beans WERE lovely.
I go through a LOT of vanilla beans in the course of a year. These were nice and oily with a true vanilla fragrance. I’ve had some that were very perfumey.
Note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you buy from my link I might make a small commission. This does not affect the price you pay. See the full affiliate disclosure here.
When I cut them open there were a lot of seeds in there with not too much other gunk. I don’t know the technical name for the gunk but I do know that it annoys me.
VANILLA BEAN TIP!!!!! After you scrape out the seeds save the beans and put them in with some sugar. Then you always have vanilla sugar on hand. I do this all the time. It adds a nice taste to fruit or even coffee.
OK – on to the cookies!
Preheat the oven to 350°F
I doubled the recipe so when the pictures don’t exactly match what I have typed that is why….
You will need:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/3 cups flour (I used white whole wheat flour)
1 vanilla bean split and scraped or 1 TBSP pure vanilla extract
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of your mixer.
Add the egg and the scraped vanilla seeds (or the extract if using that).
Just look at all those yummy little vanilla seeds!
Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Add it to the butter mixture and blend until just mixed together.
Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets. I used my small scoop; this makes for uniform cookies.
Bake for 12 – 15 minutes or until just browned at the edges. I was doing two trays at a time so I did switch them around in the oven at the 7 minute mark.
They smelled HEAVENLY when they were cooking and they came out looking beautiful.
I tasted one, two or even possibly three of them and the vanilla flavor came through quite strongly. They were delicious. This is a chewy/crunchy cookie and it will now be one of my standards. Simple, classic and just about perfect.
Given that none came home I think I can say that the firemen liked them too!
Here is some info about Rodelle:
Responsibly sourced from premier growing regions, Rodelle has been delivering the finest in baking essentials for 75 years. Its pure vanilla, superior extracts and remarkable spice blends have been unrivaled in flavor and quality since 1936. Rodelle’s exclusive collection takes culinary adventure from good to grand. The company believes that choosing premier ingredients is the way for avid chefs to make a difference in their recipes year round.
Now it’s YOUR turn! Are you ready to take the Rodelle Challenge!
Go ahead!
It’s easy….go to the Rodelle Facebook page and check it all out!
You might win a KitchenAid Mixer and a years worth of Rodelle Baking Supplies.
Disclosure: I was sent vanilla beans gratis from Rodelle. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by my receipt of the free product. I received no monetary compensation for this post.
