Vanilla paste is used in many preparations – particularly in patisserie, but also in desserts, cocktails, milkshakes or ice cream. Ideally, it should be combined with a liquid such as water, milk or cream. Unlike vanilla essence, which uses only the seeds, vanilla paste is made from the whole pod.

For approx. 200 g of vanilla paste, you will need the following ingredients:

• 90 g sugar

• 90 g water

• 20 g glucose syrup (or a mixture of 10 g water and 10 g sugar)

• 5 to 6 vanilla pods, preferably organic

Here’s how to prepare it:

Step 1 Cut off the two harder ends of the vanilla pods and keep them for making vanilla sugar. Then cut the pods into small pieces of about 1 cm in length.

Step 2 For the syrup, place the sugar, water and glucose in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Allow to cool.

Step 3 Put the syrup and the vanilla pieces into a blender and purée into a very fine paste at maximum speed.

Step 4 Pour the vanilla paste into small, previously sterilised jars or containers.

The vanilla paste is now ready to use. Note that its flavour will intensify after a few days. It must be stored in the refrigerator, where it will keep almost indefinitely.