Singing Dog Vanilla Review

If you know me, or have visited my blog a few times, you are probably well aware that I am a bit of a sweet freak. I love cookies, cake, ice cream, pastries, and just about anything with sugar in it. If you were to peek into my kitchen, you'd be much more likely to find me baking a batch of cookies than whipping up a gourmet meal. And, if you've clicked on the recipe link on my sidebar you know that 95% of the recipes I post are for desserts! What can I say? I have an insatiable sweet fang.

Obviously the good folks at Singing Dog Vanilla noticed my partiality for all things sweet and scrumptious, because they asked me to review their Organic Pure Vanilla Extract. Of course I was more than happy to sample their goods since it meant I would be forced to bake some yummy goodness...and then eat it ALL to be sure I could write a proper review for my dear readers ;)

Ok, so here's the scoop: Singing Dog's vanilla beans are grown using traditional, organic growing methods. They use only all natural, high quality ingredients harvested in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. Their vanilla extract is certified organic, sugar free and gluten free, so you can feel good about eating all those cookies you'll want to bake when you buy some Singing Dog Vanilla for the holiday treats you have planned this season! What's more, Singing Dog is a Fair Trade Plus company, committed to business practices that are mindful of the well being of their partner farmers.

So, how did it taste? I wanted to use a simple recipe to start with so that nothing would interfere with the vanilla flavor. I chose this recipe for shortbread cookies. Now, I have made this recipe many times before using the traditional grocery store bands of vanilla. They are always yummy. I do have to say though, that the flavor of the Singing Dog Vanilla batch was richer with a deeper vanilla taste. They were light buttery vanilla perfection and the whole batch didn't last 2 days in my house.

Later I make a vanilla pound cake which was equally as rich and yummy (see recipe below). I definitely think the quality of vanilla makes a big difference in the flavor of baked treats. It's like using real butter...you can use a substitute but you know it just won't taste like it should. Other vanilla products often have artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup added. Who wants all that stuff mingling around in their home-baked goodness?

I also had the pleasure of sampling some Singing Dog Vanilla coffee. I am not a fan of those flavored creamers that have an artificial aftertaste. I like my steaming hot java au natural. I did however enjoy the vanilla coffee. The coffee beans are ground with real vanilla bean and no other flavorings are added. It's just pure yum! And the rich vanilla flavor really comes through. You can buy their whole bean coffee and it comes with whole organic vanilla beans in the bag. You just pinch off as much or as little vanilla as you like, grind it with your coffee beans and control the flavor yourself. Brilliant, I say!

All in all this was one of my favorite reviews. I really found the Singing Dog products to be of excellent quality. I love that they are all natural, organically grown and produced by a socially and environmentally responsible company. It feels good to enjoy the sweet bounty of nature, and to do so guilt free.

Visit SingingDogVanilla.com to find out more or place your order today! They offer cinnamon and pepper products, as well, and have a great list of recipes.

Sour Cream Pound Cake:
1/2 pound unsalted butter (2 sticks)
3 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream (I use reduced fat)
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 cups all purpose flour
6 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter sugar & cream them together. Add the sour cream until incorporated. Sift the baking soda and flour together. Add the creamed mixture alternating with the eggs, 1 egg at a time. Add the vanilla and pour into a greased and floured 10' tube pan. Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cool and remove from pan.