If you really love the flavor of vanilla bean but hate the price, here’s a life hack: make your own vanilla extract. Take a few used vanilla beans (after you’ve scraped them), drop them into a bottle of vodka or bourbon, and let it sit for a month. Boom—you get the best of both worlds. The beans stretch further, and you end up with a homemade extract that tastes fancier than store-bought.
It’s also a great way to impress friends. “Oh, this cookie? I used my own vanilla extract.” They’ll think you’re a wizard. And you kind of are.
