Infusing, Confusing

• You've probably encountered oil or vinegars infused with various herbal or fruit flavors at your local gourmet store. The basic idea is the same, when you're baking at home. Take a strongly flavored ingredient, and immerse it into another ingredient. That second ingredient absorbs the flavors, and you can then use it to add those flavors to your baking. You can infuse flavors into oil or butter, milk or cream, alcohol, or even plain old water. It's a valuable technique when your flavoring ingredient isn't suitable for adding directly to the recipe.

The Tea Bag Example

• If you've ever made a cup of tea or herbal tea, you've seen a vivid example of an infusion. When you poured boiling water over the tea, its flavor and color gradually filled the water. By using more tea and less water, you could create a more concentrated infusion to give your baking the distinctive taste of Earl Grey or a fine Chinese green tea. Following the same technique enables you to add the flavor of dried herbs, from mint to lemon verbena or other adventurous options, to your baking.

Infusing in Real Time

• Some recipes call for you to infuse ingredients on the spot, while you're preparing your dough or batter. Whole vanilla beans are a well-known example. The seeds are packed with flavor, but might not have the impact you'd like if they're simply added to the batter. Much of vanilla's flavor is found in the leathery seed pod, which can't be left in the finished product. To get the full benefit of the vanilla bean's flavor, it must be simmered gently in your milk or cream and then strained out before the milk is added to your other ingredients.

Infusing Ahead of Time

• Other infusions must be made ahead of time, and they're more of a DIY project for dedicated foodies than part of your recipe. For example, if you wanted to make your own vanilla extract you could fill a bottle of vodka with split vanilla beans, and leave it in your closet for a few months. The same principle can be used to permeate dry ingredients with flavors, usually granulated sugar. Rinse and dry your used vanilla pods and bury them in sugar, to make vanilla sugar. Lavender flowers, dried citrus zest and herbs such as lemon balm or lemon thyme also add interesting flavors to sugar, which can then be used as an ingredient or topping for your baked goods.