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V.cool link Suzzy - thanks.

I have made extract out of both vodka and brandy. The most important part is leaving it sit for at least 4 weeks.

I used this site and their suggestions.

[link]

Well, I'm going to definitely do the pears (I've got a pretty jar which I've saved for ages). The recipe that I have from my uncle is a no bake mousse like cake you set in the freezer (and you can do it with practically any 'homemade' fruit compote, mango, apricot, rasberries etc.) He used his homemade extract and also scrapped out the seeds of one pod (the pods were inside the alcohol and was one of the reasons it stuck in my head).

I think that's great truman! My Uncle changed career later in life for major health reasons, he now loves making confectionary and doing patisserie so much I'm sure its what keeps him going. And he's travelled more in the last ten years than he ever did before, going to france, belgium, italy to tradeshows to learn new techniques, whereas before he never took a single holiday. I've read advice from several professional chefs (I think relishmama, kiwichef,nick -help out Rustie, you seem to know everyone) on this board, truman-maybe check some of the other sections.

Oxxx, I recommend you use your brandy for other things as suggested. For the best vanilla flavour in any dish, seeds scraped out of a pod just has to be the best. (Not the best grammar, sorry, but I'm sure you will understand!)

im goin to do a chef course is any one a chef

Me too :-), should have included "brandy" in my search for "vanilla extract recipe" but got so many results with vodka I thought I must have sniffed too much of my uncle's extract to remember what he told me.

Oxxx, I am feeling really stupid now, I have just had a thought, and have done a google search for Vanilla Brandy, and guess what...............

Well write him a letter, and then let me know what he replies. lol cos it does sound good whatever it is.

Oh and it might not even be brandy (could be some other alcohol with a B in it), I'm just pretty sure it wasn't vodka.

Thanks for the advice on fruit relishmama, I just did a search and found some easy ones for pears which sounds yummy. I will try this with the cognac.
Thanks Rustie. that's sort of what it seemed like with all the recipes online - the only reason I asked about brandy is that I have an uncle in canada who makes confectionary/patisseries professionally and I am sure he showed me a big litre of vanilla extract and said he made it from brandy - I just remembered it smelled lovely, really lovely, but he doesn't have email for me to confirm.

why dont you add fruit to it such as oranges or pears. just to preserve them then you can use them later on in other deserts. cant help with the vanilla issue, wouldnt it be easier to do vanilla sugar instead?

Oxxx, if you use Brandy, it will taste of Brandy, the reason that Vodka is used for this sort of thing is because it has no real flavour of it's own.