 With the Easter weekend approaching, baking is number one on the agenda at my place. The house will filled with delicious baking aromas from Spicy hot cross buns, or maybe my muffins, vanilla sugar drops, chewy macadamia cookies or my favourite apple and passionfruit cake. So many good things to choose from and a delicious long weekend, I’m not quite sure which to bake first. One thing is for sure; there will always be vanilla in the mix! Heilala Vanilla recently launched its Ground Vanilla Powder (which my regular readers will know I've been using in much of my baking lately). All the aroma and taste of pure vanilla is contained in this convenient, versatile powder, enhancing the taste of almost any food. It can be used in many ways without losing its flavour. It’s great in hot or cold mixtures in baking, desserts and smoothies, as a substitute for vanilla extract or paste. Use it in rubs, seasonings, pies, crumbles, chocolate (or any application where liquid is an issue). Heilala Vanilla beans are dried and ground into a fine powder making it the purest and most natural form of vanilla available in the range. It’s free from artificial colours, flavours, buffers, additives, sugar and is also gluten free. Two grams of ground Heilala Vanilla powder is the equivalent to one Heilala vanilla bean. This product is perfect in final products that are Kosher or Halal certified. To celebrate, Heilala Vanilla and Good Things have partnered once again to bring you a special prize giveaway and one lucky reader will win a Heilala Vanilla Baking Pack valued at $60.00. The prize pack contains:
 Heilala has a plantation in Tonga and is the only true ‘plantation to pantry’ vanilla on the globe. The company offers a range of 100% pure vanilla products to home cooks, chefs and food manufacturers (such as Pierre Issa from Pepe Saya). Remember Pepe’s divine butter balls with whispers of vanilla in honey? WIN a Heilala Vanilla Baking Pack! To be in the running to WIN the Heilala Vanilla Baking Pack (pictured top), please subscribe to Good Things (if you haven't already) and simply tell me in 50 words or less what good things you’ll be baking over Easter. The competition is open to Australian residents only (with apologies to my overseas friends) and closes at midnight on 21 April 2014 (just after Easter), so pop in and enter now! The winner will be notified by email and the prize pack will be posted direct to you. Please make sure that you enter your current email address (one you check regularly!) with your comment so you can be reached in the event you're selected as the winner. Good luck dear readers and thank you for entering. The competition is now closed. Thank you to all those who entered. Stay tuned for details of the winner!  And the winner is…Trish! I was genuinely touched by you saying that you will be 'baking love' into half a dozen family dinners and treats that you will stash away so that your family will miss you while you are away having treatment.
Thank you everyone who entered this competition. I honestly wish I had two dozen of these Heilala packs to give away, but sadly I only had one. Stay tuned to Good Things, please, as I have several more exciting competitions coming soon! Lotsa love xox 9/4/2014 07:44:04 pm
How exciting, this vanilla powder looks simply wonderful! So much more strong and flavoursome than just some essence! 9/4/2014 10:21:55 pm
I adore vanilla. I use it in just about all my baking. I'll be making some apple and cinnamon hot cross buns and may be even some hot cross bun ice cream . Oh, and there will definitely be something with chocolate in it somewhere for sure.
What a fantastic product! I'd LOVE to try Heilala vanilla powder!
Tanya Bechara
10/4/2014 12:14:27 am
I often use Vanilla in my cooking and a huge favourite in my house (& with all my friends and family) are my wafer thin crepes served with fruit, ice cream & homemade caramel sauce. I find if I use extra Vanilla extract or essence I use less sugar! 10/4/2014 12:22:18 pm
Definitely making hot cross buns and I'm going to try a new Bulgarian bread that may or may not be a winner. :) I've often thought of grinding vanilla beans in my thermomix for a powder but I've never tried it. Now I don't have to. 10/4/2014 12:25:12 pm
i saw vanilla powder (not heilala brand) in a local shop and was most intriguied by how you would use it. it looked strangely decadent with that black colour.
I have been waiting for you to reveal this product. Ground vanilla beans- so useful in so many dishes. 10/4/2014 01:21:11 pm
There is this coconut milk pudding recipe which my mum gave me recently. I have been waiting for Easter to try it out...its simple but rich and decadent. 10/4/2014 01:50:46 pm
Wow - I must have been under a rock as I hadn't heard of this product. It sounds brilliant and the perfect way to add that sweet, warm vanilla flavour. I think I'd start with cake, then go on to cookies and maybe just make a little ice cream to make ice cream sandwiches with the aforementioned cookies! 10/4/2014 01:56:54 pm
What a gorgeous giveaway, Liz! :-) For Easter I am doing a delicious brunch with homemade Danish pastry topped with toasted almonds, espresso with milk and maple syrup, and Bosnian spinach pie. :-) 10/4/2014 02:08:41 pm
What good things will I be baking over the Easter? I wish I could say chocolate/caramel hot cross buns, or Russian Easter bread, or bunny biscuits, or Easter egg tart... But nope, its not going to happen.... I take my mini breaks very seriously these days, my time at home is often spent in my garden, on my couch or in my bed. Wishing your lucky readers the best of luck, this is one quality giveaway. :) Happy Friday to you. xx 10/4/2014 05:12:57 pm
I'm very traditional when it comes to Easter or Christmas. Mazurkas, babki and a Colomba, that I added last year, are on my list.
Lizzy
11/4/2014 10:12:25 pm
Thank you Ela, I'm sure whatever you bake, it will be good!
karina l
10/4/2014 06:18:55 pm
I'll be baking macarons with my Zumbo cake mix! 10/4/2014 09:43:15 pm
I am very intrigued by the vanilla powder, I will have to search it out in Canada. Too bad about the contest, I wish all Australians good luck.
Lizzy
11/4/2014 10:10:58 pm
Eva, thanks ever so much! And happy Easter to you. If you go to the Heilala site, you can click down for USA, which may be ok for delivery or stockists in your area.
Amanda
10/4/2014 10:09:20 pm
Shortbread biscuits cut in different shapes or with pretty themed decorations, are the centrepiece of my Easter celebrations!
Danita Burg
10/4/2014 11:26:38 pm
Sweet Potato and Ricotta Roulade with Parmasen, Coconut Orange Souffles. 11/4/2014 01:13:48 pm
The ground vanilla powder is such an interesting idea. I usually use the paste which I really like. How does it compare to the paste as it uses the whole vanilla pod?
Lizzy
11/4/2014 10:11:54 pm
Hi Lorraine, I love the paste, but also love the fresh vanilla… this ground vanilla is great too!
Glenda
10/4/2014 11:40:34 pm
We are camping over Easter (cyclone Ita permitting) so cooking lots of goodies in preparation - melting moments, rocky road and mussaman beef curry. Ground vanilla beans sound absolutely fabulous! 10/4/2014 11:49:40 pm
I am not a huge baker, but we'd love to make some pana cotta this Easter. It is such a rich, creamy treat. 11/4/2014 01:36:57 am
Good luck to all your loyal Australian readers…one will be very lucky.
Lizzy
11/4/2014 10:12:51 pm
Karen, many thanks! Very kind of you xo 11/4/2014 02:47:11 am
I have never used powder vanilla. its a great idea. I'll be baking things that need to be used up like a honey cake with Italian orange blossom honey and anything I can with some buckwheat and selt flours.
Renate
11/4/2014 10:03:35 pm
Heilala Vanilla sounds like an awesome. Hoping to try my second batch of Hot Cross Buns, as I am still getting used to my new oven and my first batch was a slight disaster.
Clare
11/4/2014 11:03:40 pm
Right now I am in the process of moving house. Nevertheless, I plan to have the oven on before the Easter Bunny arrives. I want to play around with my hot cross recipe by soaking the fruit in earl gray and mixing up the spices. Too many other ideas to list them all!
Lizzy
12/4/2014 12:26:06 pm
Zsuzsa, are you still recuperating, love? I bet you are looking forward to running around again! If you click on the link to Heilala, you will find that you can choose Australia or USA. It's good stuff! 12/4/2014 12:39:55 pm
I just love vanilla and this product sounds amazing. Over Easter I'll be baking up some hot cross buns. I might try to make some marshmallow Easter eggs as a bit of a project with my son. Lunch on Easter Sunday will definitely involve some form of roast lamb xx
Michelle
12/4/2014 02:37:42 pm
What a wonderful day to discover your blog! I recently bought some lovely sun-dried apricots and will be boiling up lots of delicious, golden apricot jam and chutney.
silvia rogers
13/4/2014 08:33:22 pm
I will be baking hot cross buns with fruitmince which i made last July for Christmas Fruitmince tarts, also for my grandchildren an Easter egg nest cake with handmade chocolate eggs and bunnies 14/4/2014 09:55:09 am
Vanilla powder sounds amazing. I'm curious what it would be like in a meat rub.
Helen
14/4/2014 10:45:50 am
I love having the time to bake! I've already started - blueberry muffins, fresh pancakes. Looking forward to making a fruit tart next! Good vanilla adds so much to the flavour.
Karlene
14/4/2014 10:44:46 pm
Our local bakery makes huge, soft, delicious hot cross buns and at only 80c each I don't bother trying to compete. But it's hubby's birthday on Saturday so master 6 and I will be making him a banana cake (his favourite).
Kim maree
21/4/2014 02:13:13 am
My daughter wantes to cook a custard tart, we have never made one before, so it will be challening Comments are closed.
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Photo Jay Cranon, The Canberra Times
Hello. I'm Liz, a writer, cook and traveller based in Canberra, Australia.
Join me as I share with you my favourite recipes, postcards and morsels from my adventures, conversations with cookery writers and chefs, and news on food and cooking.  Search by topicNB: I use Australian standard measuring cups and spoons in my recipes.
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