The Golden Rule of Dosing

The tonka bean is a spice of phenomenal power (9/10). Its aroma is so concentrated that it must be dosed with extreme restraint.

1. Use a very fine spice grater (Microplane type).
2. Never use the whole bean at once! A quarter or half a grated bean is more than enough to flavor a dessert for 6 people.
3. Grate the bean at the last moment, directly over your preparation (warm milk, cake batter, cream) to preserve all its volatile essential oils of almond and caramel.

Revisiting a great French pastry classic

Tonka bean brings an almond/vanilla dimension that surpasses the classic crème brûlée.

• 50cl heavy cream, 5 egg yolks, 70g cane sugar
• 1/2 Brazilian Tonka bean, finely grated

1. Heat the cream with the grated tonka bean. Bring to a simmer, cover, and infuse off the heat for 15 minutes.
2. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar without making them pale. Pour the warm strained cream over while mixing gently.
3. Pour into ramekins and bake in a water bath at 100°C for 45 min. Let cool in the fridge, then caramelize with a blowtorch using brown sugar just before serving!

A natural marriage between cocoa and Cumaru

In Brazil, since acai, cocoa and tonka grow in the same regions, their culinary pairing is completely logical.

1. Melt 200g dark chocolate (70% minimum) with 100g butter in a double boiler.
2. Grate 1/2 Amazonian tonka bean directly into the melted, warm chocolate. The bitterness of cocoa will absorb the bitter almond sweetness of tonka.
3. Add 3 eggs, 80g sugar and 50g flour. Bake 10-12 minutes at 200°C for a runny center. The aroma escaping the oven is pure magic.

Enhancing cooked fruits

Tonka has caramel and cut hay notes that magnify apples, pears and quinces.

• When cooking your apples in butter and sugar for a Tarte Tatin, grate a third of a tonka bean into the cooking caramel.
• The tonka will dissolve in the warm butter and coat every piece of apple with an incomparable warm almond scent.

A creation worthy of a Michelin-starred restaurant

It is often forgotten, but tonka bean pairs wonderfully with noble seafood and butter.

1. Melt 30g of salted butter in a pan until it turns brown (beurre noisette).
2. Grate a tiny pinch of tonka bean (one turn of the grater) into the foaming butter.
3. Sear your scallops for 1 minute on each side. Baste them continuously with this tonka brown butter. Serve immediately with fleur de sel.

The refreshing summer dessert

1. Heat 40cl heavy cream and 10cl milk with 50g sugar and 1/2 grated tonka bean. Infuse for 20 min.
2. Add 3 rehydrated gelatin sheets into the warm strained cream. Pour into glasses and place in the fridge for 4 hours.
3. When serving, top the white panna cotta with fresh mango or passion fruit coulis. The acidity of the tropical fruit contrasts beautifully with the vanilla sweetness of the tonka.

Le Comptoir's maceration

An original rum maceration recipe brought back by Arnaud from his travels in Minas Gerais.

• 1 Liter white agricole rum (40° or 50°)
• 3 ripe bananas sliced into rounds
• 1 whole Tonka bean (slightly scored with a knife)
• 1 Bourbon vanilla pod from Madagascar
• 4 tbsp cane sugar syrup

Maceration: Let rest for 2 to 3 months in a dark place. Note: taste after one month and remove the tonka bean if its almond aroma becomes too strong, letting the banana and vanilla shine through!

Savory winter cooking

Tonka loves naturally sweet, orange autumn vegetables.

1. Cook your pumpkin or sweet potatoes in vegetable broth with an onion and a dash of cream.
2. Blend your soup to obtain a very smooth consistency.
3. When serving hot in bowls, grate a fine pinch of tonka bean directly onto the steaming soup with a drizzle of hazelnut oil. The woody scent that emerges is irresistible.

For a magical Sunday snack

Ran out of vanilla pods for your pancakes? Tonka bean is the ultimate substitute!

• Prepare your traditional pancake batter (250g flour, 4 eggs, 50cl milk, butter).
• Grate 1/3 of a tonka bean directly into the warm milk before incorporating it into the flour.
• Let the batter rest for 1 hour. During cooking, your pancakes will develop a delicious scent of sweet almond and warm brioche.

Storage & Reuse

A tonka bean is very hard and dry. Because it is used in small amounts by grating, a single bean can serve you for 4 or 5 different recipes!

• Storage: After grating a quarter of your bean, put the remaining piece back into its sealed bag or glass tube. It will keep for several years without losing its scent.
• Tonka Sugar: If you have a small piece of bean that is too short to grate safely, plunge it into your powdered sugar jar. In 2 weeks, the sugar will absorb the residual aromatic scent of the bean. You get a homemade tonka sugar, much better and cheaper than commercial ones!