Anna from Anna’s Cool Finds is hosting the 93rd round of Weekend Herb Blogging. Don’t miss the recap!
My fellow blogger Véronique from Wie Gott in Deutschland sent me some tonka beans. I’ve never tried tonka beans. They are a cheap substitute for vanilla and are also called „mexican vanilla. It smells sweet, like vanilla and a little like hay. The tonka bean contains cumarin and is/was used to flavour alcoholic drinks in Western Europe and the US. I prepared a
Tonka bean mousse
The taste reminds of vanilla, but somewhat more bitter, very interesting.
| -========= | REZKONV-Recipe – RezkonvSuite v1.4 |
| Title: | Tonka bean mousse |
| Categories: | Dessert |
| Yield: | 1 Recipe |
Ingredients
| 500 | grams | Milk | |
| 100 | grams | Sugar | |
| 1 1/2 | pieces | Tonka beans, grated | |
| 120 | grams | Egg yolk | |
| 6 | leaves | Gelatin | |
| 500 | grams | Cream, whipped |
Source
| www.condicreativclub.de/ |
| Edited *RK* 07/07/2007 by | |
| Ulrike Westphal |
Directions
In a small saucepan soak the sheets of gelatine in cold water for about 10 min.
Bring milk and tonka beans just to a boil in saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, then remove pan from heat. Let steep, covered, 30 minutes.
Whisk together eggs and sugar in a large bowl, then add 1 cup hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Pour into remaining hot cream mixture in saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick enough to coat back of spoon about 5 minutes (do not let boil).
Squeeze the gelatine sheets out and warm over medium heat until completely dissolved and add to the egg mixture. Fold the cooled mixture into the whipped cream.
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Thyme for Cooking
I love coming over here! You find the most interesting ingredients – and then do fun things with them.
Where we lived in Minnesota was the home of Tonka Toys – not edible, but a big manufactures of high quality toy trucks! The name came for the lake we lived on – Minnetonka, Indian for Great Water.
Your mousse looks lovely!
What an interesting ingredient!
I’ve never heard of Tonka beans and this is quite an enlightening post!
Tonka beans: thanks for telling us about them. I don’t know if stores around here have them: I have to ask.
REPLY:
I have learned something new (Tonka), thanks and keep up with the new ingredients!
Interesting!
Here in the southwestern part of the U.S. many people prefer what they call „Mexican vanilla“ over the other type. But I had no idea it was a different type of bean. Great post!