Using Liqueur and Alcohol to Flavor Baking Instead of Extracts

Liqueur can be substituted for extract evenly amount for amount, but you may find that you can use less liqueur than extract.  If you are worried about the alcohol content, then you can relax, because the alcohol content is burned away when baking or cooking, and you are just left with the flavor of the liqueur.

You can also blend the flavors of the liquors with vanilla extract or with each other if you are baking a cookie or cake with both flavors such as a orange cookie with almonds.  Another trick is using Amaretto with any cookie recipe that has nuts, not just with almond.

My personal favorite liqueur to add to recipes is Frangelico, which is a hazelnut flavored liqueur.  Frangelico makes a wonderful flavor addition to any nut flavored cookie or cake, or any chocolate cake or cookie with nuts.  Frangelico also tastes wonderful in combination with vanilla extract or instead of vanilla extract.

In ten years of experimenting, I have never found another substitute that tastes as good as real vanilla extract to replace vanilla extract. I never use imitation vanilla extract anymore, and I often buy the concentrated forms of vanilla extract to add more intense and rich flavor to baking. I also will buy vanilla beans, and grind them up into my baking to increase the vanilla flavor. (It is hard to add too much vanilla to baking, as far as I am concerned.)

The one thing you do need to watch when substituting or adding liquid extracts to baking recipes, is to watch the amount of liquid you add altogether so as not to change the consistency of your dough. You can find real vanilla extract at most grocery stores, gourmet food stores, and organic food stores, and you can also find it on Amazon.