The holiday season is a magical time, filled with warmth, family, and, of course, delicious food. But for many home bakers, it also brings a familiar challenge: what to bake? With endless to-do lists and precious little time, the dream of experimenting with elaborate new recipes often takes a back seat. We instinctively gravitate towards cherished family recipes, those reliable culinary anchors that promise a flawless outcome and much-needed peace of mind amidst the festive frenzy.
However, relying on tried-and-true recipes doesn’t mean sacrificing innovation. The secret to elevating these beloved dishes and giving them a fresh twist lies in one often-underestimated element: flavor extracts. By fine-tuning the aromatic profile, even the most familiar dessert can be transformed into an exciting new experience. And when it comes to exceptional flavor extracts, there’s no better partner in the kitchen than Nielsen-Massey Vanillas and their exquisite range of products. Their commitment to quality ensures that every drop delivers an unparalleled depth of flavor, making it incredibly easy to infuse your holiday baking with gourmet flair.
The Nielsen-Massey Difference: Elevating Your Holiday Baking
For years, Nielsen-Massey extracts have been a cornerstone in my kitchen, consistently proving their worth in countless family recipes. From delicate cakes to hearty pies, their pure extracts have an uncanny ability to enhance natural flavors and create truly memorable desserts. You might recall some of my previous culinary adventures featuring their products, where I’ve highlighted their superior quality and transformative power. Recently, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas graciously reached out again, offering to send products from their highly anticipated Holiday Bundle for review and, in the past, a special giveaway opportunity for my readers.
Each year, Nielsen-Massey curates a special collection of extracts perfectly suited for holiday baking, and the 2019 Holiday Flavors Bundle was no exception. This thoughtfully assembled selection features some of their most sought-after extracts, designed to inspire and delight home bakers:
- Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract: This is the gold standard of vanilla. It boasts a rich, sweet, creamy, and mellow flavor profile, complemented by velvety after-tones. It’s incredibly versatile, adding a comforting warmth and depth to everything from custards and cookies to savory dishes.
- Pure Peppermint Extract: Offering a refreshing and vibrant flavor, this extract is a holiday favorite. It’s not just for sweet applications like peppermint bark or chocolate mint desserts; it can also lend a surprising twist to savory dishes or festive beverages.
- Pure Almond Extract: Providing a delightful sweet, nutty flavor, almond extract is a perfect complement to a wide array of ingredients. Its subtle complexity pairs beautifully with chocolate, maple, butterscotch, and various fruits, adding an elegant note to your baked goods.
For this particular review, I had the pleasure of working with their esteemed Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract and the versatile Pure Almond Extract. The anticipation of incorporating these high-quality ingredients into my holiday creations was truly exciting.
The moment these bottles arrived, I couldn’t wait to begin crafting something special. The scent alone promised an exceptional baking experience.
Reinventing a Classic: Vegan Jam-Filled Pastries with a Vanilla Twist
With the holiday season upon us, I decided to revisit a treasured family recipe – my mother-in-law’s strudel, which I had previously shared on this blog. While the original strudel recipe might appear somewhat labor-intensive, the exquisite final product makes every step worthwhile. For this occasion, I envisioned a creative adaptation: transforming the delicate strudel dough into tiny, jam-filled vegan pastries, reminiscent of beloved treats from my home country. This innovative approach allowed me to put the Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract to perfect use, infusing the dough itself with its rich, aromatic essence.
For the filling, I opted for a delectable mixture of homemade plum jam and finely chopped nuts. The tartness of the plum jam perfectly complements the sweetness of the pastry, creating a delightful balance of flavors. While plum jam is a fantastic choice, feel free to use any fruit jam you have on hand in your pantry – often, the more tart the jam, the more dynamic the final taste experience will be.
Once the vanilla-infused dough was rolled out thinly and cut into small squares – the size is entirely up to your preference, keeping in mind that smaller squares bake more quickly and yield more individual pastries – I carefully placed approximately one tablespoon of the fragrant jam and nut mixture onto the center of each square. This meticulous step ensures a generous burst of flavor in every bite.
At this stage, the kitchen began to fill with the promise of deliciousness. The scent of vanilla and plum was already intoxicating, a delightful preview of the treats to come. The anticipation was almost palpable.
With a gentle touch, I rolled each square into a neat, cigarette-shaped pastry. These delicate parcels were then arranged on a baking pan lined with parchment paper, ensuring even baking and easy removal. The uniformity of the pastries made for an appealing presentation, perfect for any holiday gathering.
The pan was then carefully placed into a preheated oven, where the pastries baked for approximately 25 minutes, or until they achieved a beautiful golden-brown hue and the jam inside began to bubble enticingly. The transformation in the oven was a feast for the senses, filling the entire home with a comforting, sweet aroma. Once perfectly baked, I removed them to cool.
After allowing the pastries to cool completely – a crucial step for the powdered sugar to adhere beautifully – I generously dusted them with a delicate blanket of confectioners’ sugar. This not only added a touch of elegance but also a subtle sweetness that complemented the tart plum filling and the rich vanilla in the dough. The visual appeal of these snow-dusted pastries made them irresistible.
The Perfect Pairing: Vanilla, Almond, and Hot Chocolate
To further enhance the experience, I served these delightful pastries alongside steaming cups of hot chocolate. But this wasn’t just any hot chocolate; I elevated it with a subtle touch of 1/8 teaspoon of Nielsen-Massey Pure Almond Extract. The combination of vanilla in the pastries and almond in the hot chocolate proved to be an utterly perfect flavor match, a symphony of sweet and nutty notes that delighted the palate. This pairing truly showcases the versatility of high-quality extracts in crafting unforgettable sensory experiences.
These jam-filled pastries were everything I had hoped for and more. They offered a deeply delicious vanilla flavor and aroma, a testament to the purity of Nielsen-Massey’s extract. The texture was wonderfully moist, and they struck a beautiful balance of sweetness, never becoming cloying. They proved to be remarkably resilient, staying fresh on the kitchen countertop for several days when stored in a bowl covered with a clean towel. By cutting the dough into very small pieces, I ended up with an impressive yield of over 80 pastries, making them ideal for large gatherings or simply to enjoy throughout the week. My family absolutely adored this creative reinvention of a cherished recipe, particularly appreciating the harmonious blend of the tart plum jam with the delicate, floral notes of the vanilla. With Nielsen-Massey products as your culinary companions, crafting a flawless and memorable dessert becomes an effortlessly enjoyable endeavor.
Unlock More Baking Inspiration
Are you ready to explore the endless possibilities that premium extracts can offer? I highly encourage you to visit Nielsen-Massey’s website. There, you’ll discover a treasure trove of exciting recipes, invaluable baking tips, and inspiring demos designed to help you elevate your culinary skills. While the specific giveaway mentioned in this post has concluded, staying connected with Nielsen-Massey and following food blogs like this one is a great way to be informed about future opportunities and product promotions. Unleash your inner baker and transform your everyday treats into extraordinary culinary delights!
Print Recipe
Vegan Jam Filled Pastries
45 mins
25 mins
1 hr 10 mins
Servings: 80 pastries
Ingredients
- 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 packet dry yeast
- 2 tbsp Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup water, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp water, at room temperature (for yeast)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups fruit jam of your choice (plum recommended)
- 1 cup chopped nuts
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
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In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour. In a separate small bowl, dissolve 1 packet of dry yeast in 1 tablespoon of room temperature water, stirring gently. Add the dissolved yeast mixture to the flour, then incorporate 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons of Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, 1 cup of room temperature water, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix thoroughly until a smooth and homogeneous dough forms. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for approximately 30 minutes at room temperature.
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While the first dough is resting, prepare the second dough. In another bowl, combine 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour with 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, mixing with a fork until just combined. Gradually add the remaining flour and oil in alternating increments, mixing gently after each addition, until this second dough achieves a consistency similar to sour cream.
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Return to the first dough. On a clean, dry, lightly floured surface, roll out the first dough with a rolling pin until it is about 1/4 inch thin. Evenly spread the second, sour cream-like dough on top of the rolled-out first dough using a fork. Carefully roll the combined dough into a cylinder shape. Allow this cylinder to rest for about 15 minutes. During this resting period, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and mix your chosen fruit jam with the chopped nuts in a medium bowl until well combined.
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After resting, roll out the combined dough again on a dry, flat surface with a rolling pin until it is about 1/4 inch thin. Using a knife or pastry cutter, cut the dough into small squares. The size of the squares is flexible, but remember that smaller squares will bake more quickly and yield more individual pastries. Place about 1 teaspoon of the jam and nut mixture onto the center of each square. Carefully roll each square into a cigarette-shaped pastry. Arrange the pastries on a baking pan lined with parchment paper, ensuring they have a little space between them.
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Place the baking pan in the preheated oven. Bake the pastries for approximately 25 minutes, or until they turn golden-brown and you see the jam gently bubbling from within. Once baked, remove the pastries from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, generously sprinkle them with powdered sugar before serving.
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Enjoy your delicious homemade vegan jam-filled pastries!
Disclaimer: While I received complimentary products to facilitate this review, all opinions expressed here are my own.