HIC's Mixes: DIY recipes store

[HeadInClouds]

@HeadInClouds for a Vanilla Pizzelle (just picked up some at the market) would I just omit the Anise? Or do I have to add something else? Thanks!

The thought of Pizzelle with no Anise at all makes me sad. lol. If you have it, I really recommend getting in just a little, even if it's 0.25%. If you don't have Anise, then even 0.25% of Marzipan. Either (or both) serve as a contrast - and sweetener - to make vanilla taste even better. In any case, sure, you can go 2%, maybe 2.5%, on Vanilla Classic to make it the most prominent flavor.

 

[Heartsdelight]

The thought of Pizzelle with no Anise at all makes me sad. lol. If you have it, I really recommend getting in just a little, even if it's 0.25%. If you don't have Anise, then even 0.25% of Marzipan. Either (or both) serve as a contrast - and sweetener - to make vanilla taste even better. In any case, sure, you can go 2%, maybe 2.5%, on Vanilla Classic to make it the most prominent flavor.

Lol! is this what you want to say to me "" lol! I did make it with the Anise, just wanted to try a variation, thanks for the quick response!

 

[Heartsdelight]

Happy to report .25% of Marzipan & 2% of Vanilla Classic tastes yummy! Thanks HIC!

 

[HeadInClouds]

http://flavourart.com/en/store/flavors/sweet/zeppola-flavor/
(U.S. source currently in stock: https://www.nicotineriver.com/collections/e-liquid-flavors-new-arrivals/products/flavourart-zeppola)

I've tried various brands' doughnut type flavorings but found nothing very useful - certainly none made great standalone flavors. Until this one!! FA made us a great new one. Zeppola are apparently popular in Italy around New Years', so maybe the timing of this new flavor is intentional.

Zeppola are doughnut-like pastries, like powdered-sugar-sprinkled beignets. Right around 4% is just right for me - tastes like Mardi Gras beignets with powdered sugar (plus a wee bit of sweet cinnamon? maybe a very subtle hint of apple? - I thought I tasted both at 5% & at higher wattage.) I've never had real Italian zeppola, but if you know beignets, you know this FA flavor. If you don't know either treat, those little powdered-sugar doughnuts are a rough estimate of what you'll taste - but richer, perhaps a little buttery. I'm really impressed with the sweet powdered-sugary exhale! A whiff of the flavoring bottle smells nice, but you don't appreciate that sweet bit until you vape it (I'm using max VG intentionally & haven't tried with any PG added yet).
(note: the cinnamon bit gains strength with steeping, just like it does in Catalan Cream)

Haters of Joy will be glad there's none of Joy's distinctive yeasty flavor that some people taste as beer. If Nonna's Cake steep time bums you out, you're in luck - Zeppola is sweet & tasty right away. Some Italian zeppola recipes include sweet ricotta type cheese, but this flavoring does not have the cheesecake-type (for lack of a better term) flavor that Nonna's Cake does as a standalone shake-and-vape. Zeppola is the sweetest of the three, sure to be a big hit as it becomes more widely available, and YES it works well for mixing. In fact, I'd say it's the easiest of the 3 to mix with. Visions of apple fritters, danish & similar sweet pastries are dancing in my head. That sweet exhale will make it really great with many fruit flavors, very nice effect on Cinnamon Ceylon, too.

(I've tried at least 24 new-to-me flavorings from other brands over the past few weeks; FA Zeppola is the easy winner for standalone, for sure.)

 

[Foggz]

NIce to have a new FA .. something that sounds like it's a good straight flavor rather than the ethereal, ambiance like flavors of late!

Thank you HIC for the Heads up!!

Happy Holidays btw!!

 

[Heartsdelight]

Thanks for letting us know! What would we do without you? New recipes using FA Zeppola forthcoming?

Edit: Ordered the FA Zeppola yay!

 

[LittleBird]

Zeppola on the way! I see cream beignets in my future

 

[soulseek]

This sounds very interesting, can't wait for it to arrive. I was initially really impressed by Nonnas Cake as a standalone but got bored of it fast and I didn't like how it steeped (funny since most people like it steeped).

HIC have you ever come across bad or inconsistent batches from FA?
I ordered condensed milk (without diketones) when it first came out and it was horrible both in taste and in smell. However, I've heard very positive from others since then and am wondering if I got a bad batch. Regardless, I've ordered a new one to give it another chance.

 

[HeadInClouds]

HIC have you ever come across bad or inconsistent batches from FA?

Well, there was the Great Meringue Scandal of 2015 {cue dramatic music}, which wasn't a "bad batch" but an abrupt (and IMO radical) change in the flavoring. FA insisted nothing changed in their formula. Whatever the explanation, all I bought up to a given date had one flavor, and all later are different. I accumulated about 15 samples from around the world to confirm my observations. I still wish I had that 2014 flavor back.

I have FA Condensed Milk from both before & after the reformulation for diketones. The flavor change was not dramatic (read: it didn't have lots of diketones to begin with). I'll never use either one; it's disgusting. So is their plain Milk flavor. Add Yogurt to that list. Lol. There's a common note in all 3, likely an ingredient they share, that's just WRONG, in my opinion. How could a company make a flavoring as beautiful & useful as Fresh Cream and yet produce those monstrosities? I know a handful of people who can use small additions of Condensed Milk/Milk/Yogurt in recipes & enjoy it - so perhaps not everyone experiences them as I do. Someday, some company will make a flavoring like Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk, and the flavor industry will be complete. I guarantee you'll agree FA Condensed Milk has nothing in common with that elixir; if it did, I'd be all over it. I'd love for you to post YOUR impressions when you try it, though.

I have gotten *rebottled* FA flavorings that would indicate a flavor change (often citrus flavors), but *every* time I've investigated, the problem has been due to the seller. If the seller mislabels, has expired flavoring, poor storage, or fails to shake THEIR bottles prior to dispensing, we end up with a faulty product. That's not FA's fault, of course!

 

[retrox]

BCV's got the Zeppola in stock as well. I've no idea what a zeppola is (or a beignet for that matter), but I'm pretty sure I heard someone type doughnut. So in the cart it goes.

I've been on a big FA wOw bender lately, so I'm all about some doughnuts these days. I know wOw is just an amalgam of pre-existing FA flavorings, but it's really well done. Perfect stand alone at 3% with a couple of days behind it to let the spice settle down. I'm a sucker for easy mixes.

Also recently broke out my year-ish old Baker's Flavors panettone for a quick mix. Still tastes great! Tis the season, you guys!

 

[HeadInClouds]

BCV's got the Zeppola in stock as well.
I've been on a big FA wOw bender lately

If you like the pastry part of Wow, you will like Zeppola.

 

[Teresa P]

I just got a couple small bottles of the WoW and zeppola from Wizard Labs, but haven't mixed them yet. Glad WL is carrying a few FAs now, it's much cheaper to try an 8ml for $1.49 and maybe not like it.

 

[HeadInClouds]

I just got a couple small bottles of the WoW and zeppola from Wizard Labs, but haven't mixed them yet. Glad WL is carrying a few FAs now, it's much cheaper to try an 8ml for $1.49 and maybe not like it.

Not to mention, WL's awesome 8ml glass vials, which are re-useable forever. You can buy glass droppers (https://wizardlabs.us/index.php?route=product/product&path=71_75&product_id=575) to replace the lids. Vials have a much smaller "footprint" than bottles, so you can keep all your favorites like this in one Tupperware box.

 

[Teresa P]

Not to mention, WL's awesome 8ml glass vials, which are re-useable forever. You can buy glass droppers (https://wizardlabs.us/index.php?route=product/product&path=71_75&product_id=575) to replace the lids. Vials have a much smaller "footprint" than bottles, so you can keep all your favorites like this in one Tupperware box.

Yes, I probably have enough of those little vials to start a flavor company of my own...lol! @Daintanee and I have swapped many of those back and forth sharing flavors, very handy! I wasn't keen on the glass vials yesterday though, not after I inadvertently knocked one off my desk onto the hardwood floor where the bottom broke off and flung flavoring across the room. And it was one of their new ones from the Flavor Wizard line I'd gotten to try, a strawberry lemonade. But, being the penny pincher I am, I took a pipette and sucked just enough out of the rest of the bottle to make around 10ml, give or take. Ha! Turns out the juice was not very impressive, no big loss dropping the flavoring, but my office smells lovely and there's a nicely polished spot under my desk....

 

[Heartsdelight]

Yes, I probably have enough of those little vials to start a flavor company of my own...lol! @Daintanee and I have swapped many of those back and forth sharing flavors, very handy! I wasn't keen on the glass vials yesterday though, not after I inadvertently knocked one off my desk onto the hardwood floor where the bottom broke off and flung flavoring across the room. And it was one of their new ones from the Flavor Wizard line I'd gotten to try, a strawberry lemonade. But, being the penny pincher I am, I took a pipette and sucked just enough out of the rest of the bottle to make around 10ml, give or take. Ha! Turns out the juice was not very impressive, no big loss dropping the flavoring, but my office smells lovely and there's a nicely polished spot under my desk....

Lol! I thought you were going to say you pipette off the floor! Lol!
Merry Christmas!

 

[Teresa P]

Lol! I thought you were going to say you pipette off the floor! Lol!
Merry Christmas!

I'm tight, but not that tight...yet....lol!!
Merry Christmas to you!!

 

[Daintanee]

Well, there was the Great Meringue Scandal of 2015 {cue dramatic music}, which wasn't a "bad batch" but an abrupt (and IMO radical) change in the flavoring. FA insisted nothing changed in their formula. Whatever the explanation, all I bought up to a given date had one flavor, and all later are different. I accumulated about 15 samples from around the world to confirm my observations. I still wish I had that 2014 flavor back.

I have FA Condensed Milk from both before & after the reformulation for diketones. The flavor change was not dramatic (read: it didn't have lots of diketones to begin with). I'll never use either one; it's disgusting. So is their plain Milk flavor. Add Yogurt to that list. Lol. There's a common note in all 3, likely an ingredient they share, that's just WRONG, in my opinion. How could a company make a flavoring as beautiful & useful as Fresh Cream and yet produce those monstrosities? I know a handful of people who can use small additions of Condensed Milk/Milk/Yogurt in recipes & enjoy it - so perhaps not everyone experiences them as I do. Someday, some company will make a flavoring like Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk, and the flavor industry will be complete. I guarantee you'll agree FA Condensed Milk has nothing in common with that elixir; if it did, I'd be all over it. I'd love for you to post YOUR impressions when you try it, though.

I have gotten *rebottled* FA flavorings that would indicate a flavor change (often citrus flavors), but *every* time I've investigated, the problem has been due to the seller. If the seller mislabels, has expired flavoring, poor storage, or fails to shake THEIR bottles prior to dispensing, we end up with a faulty product. That's not FA's fault, of course!

Hi! I have some catching up to do in this thread. I'm darn disappointed in the meringue change as well. There was definitely a change. Also, idk, that very first bottle of Joy I got was the bomb. I couldn't understand how people were tasting flat beer. Each bottle thereafter has been flat beer, so I have given up on Joy.

Happy Holidays Everyone!!

 

[Huckleberried]

Love you guys!

 

[Teresa P]

Love you guys!

We love you too, li'l Huck....

 

[VaporCarp]

We love you too, li'l Huck....

What about me?

 

[Teresa P]

What about me?

 

[Foggz]

I just have to say....

You guys Rock!!

 

[retrox]

Hope everyone had a nice Christmas!

Haven't had a chance to mix my Zeppola yet, but it smells exactly like wOw without the red fruit. Which means I get to try a yellow fruit, or an orange fruit, or maybe even a purple one.

Hot Tip: INW Shisha Strawberry is an awesome enhancer for FA Strawberry, which tends to fade a lot more quickly than I'd like. At .25% per 2-3% of FA Strawberry, the INW SS gives FA's the legs it needs. I loaded up some 3 week-old Strawberry Whopper that I'd added a couple of drops to as a test and it's excellent! Normally the FA Strawberry flavor by itself would be all but gone in a mix this old.

I know lots of people are fans of INW SS, but this is the first real use I've found for it.

 

[Heartsdelight]

My FA Zeppola is stuck somewhere between Long Beach, CA & New Jersey I ordered from Nicotine River & eta was last Friday

 

[retrox]

My FA Zeppola is stuck somewhere between Long Beach, CA & New Jersey I ordered from Nicotine River & eta was last Friday

Tis the season for jacked up mail service!

Sent from my SM-J700T1 using Tapatalk

 

[HeadInClouds]

New today at HIC's Mixes : Cinnamon-Sugar Cookies

"Snickerdoodles! This is the classic flavor of vanilla sugar cookies rolled in sweet cinnamon-sugar and lightly baked. The sweet flavor of white sugar with gourmet cinnamon is now possible using only FlavourArt brand. This recipe requires only diketone-free FlavourArt flavorings, including Zeppola."


useless trivia: Most Snickerdoodle cookie recipes include cream of tartar, which adds a subtle "tang". Did you know cream of tartar is the sediment left in the barrel after wine is made? You gotta wonder who looked at that stuff and thought, "I think I'll scrape it off and add it to cookies." lol

 

[Heartsdelight]

Yay!!! My order with FA Zeppola finally arrived today! Can't wait to make HIC's Cinnamon Sugar Cookies! Perfect timing HIC ! Thanks!

 

[retrox]

Yeah, this one's a safe bet. Here I am right after trying Zeppola stand alone:

"HMM... COOKIE? COOKIE!"

I'm surely gonna try it with wOw instead of Zeppola too. Raspberry snickerdoodles, because why not.

 

[Heartsdelight]

Yeah, this one's a safe bet. Here I am right after trying Zeppola stand alone:

"HMM... COOKIE? COOKIE!"

I'm surely gonna try it with wOw instead of Zeppola too. Raspberry snickerdoodles, because why not.

Boy aren't you handsome! Did you try the Zeppola at 4%?

 

[LittleBird]

<drums fingers>

Waiting patiently for a beignets recipe ...

 

[Heartsdelight]

Happy New Year's everyone!!!

 

[HeadInClouds]

<drums fingers>

Waiting patiently for a beignets recipe ...

In New Orleans beignets are usually served as plain, fried dough chunks with powdered sugar. You don't have to get fancy to make that flavor.

* good, clean coil so you can taste all the detail
* highest possible VG and good-quality (or no) nic to maximize sweetness
* mix Zeppola to your preferred standalone strength; for me that's 4.5%, a bit more than most FA flavors
* for a little coolness on the exhale like powdered sugar, add 0.5% - 1% FA Polar Blast. I like 0.75%.
* no steep, just vape the heck out of it. If you get some vapor to condense on your lips, all the better for enjoying the cool effect

(totally ripped-off image from epicurious)

 

[Heartsdelight]

In New Orleans beignets are usually served as plain, fried dough chunks with powdered sugar. You don't have to get fancy to make that flavor.

* good, clean coil so you can taste all the detail
* highest possible VG and good-quality (or no) nic to maximize sweetness
* mix Zeppola to your preferred standalone strength; for me that's 4.5%, a bit more than most FA flavors
* for a little coolness on the exhale like powdered sugar, add 0.5% - 1% FA Polar Blast. I like 0.75%.
* no steep, just vape the heck out of it. If you get some vapor to condense on your lips, all the better for enjoying the cool effect

(totally ripped-off image from epicurious)
View attachment 70331

Can TFA Koolada be subbed for FA Polar Blast? Thanks!

 

[HeadInClouds]

Can TFA Koolada be subbed for FA Polar Blast? Thanks!

I think most people would consider them interchangeable. Polar Blast may be a bit more potent - not enough to require adjusting percentages.

As a new DIY'er I vaped lots of Koolada in minty concoctions. Over time I developed some kind of sensitivity to it: it makes me cough up a lung. Fortunately I'm having no problem with Polar Blast; I hope that doesn't change.

 

[Heartsdelight]

I think most people would consider them interchangeable. Polar Blast may be a bit more potent - not enough to require adjusting percentages.

As a new DIY'er I vaped lots of Koolada in minty concoctions. Over time I developed some kind of sensitivity to it: it makes me cough up a lung. Fortunately I'm having no problem with Polar Blast; I hope that doesn't change.

Thanks I hope it doesn't change for u either

 

[Teresa P]

I don't think the polar blast would fade like the koolada.

 

[Teresa P]

Would a certain master mixer have a recipe to vape this?(@HeadInClouds...*clears throat*...hint hint....lol!)
http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/d...1&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=marketing-rod

 

[LittleBird]

In New Orleans beignets are usually served as plain, fried dough chunks with powdered sugar. You don't have to get fancy to make that flavor.

* good, clean coil so you can taste all the detail
* highest possible VG and good-quality (or no) nic to maximize sweetness
* mix Zeppola to your preferred standalone strength; for me that's 4.5%, a bit more than most FA flavors
* for a little coolness on the exhale like powdered sugar, add 0.5% - 1% FA Polar Blast. I like 0.75%.
* no steep, just vape the heck out of it. If you get some vapor to condense on your lips, all the better for enjoying the cool effect

(totally ripped-off image from epicurious)
View attachment 70331

Thank you

 

[HeadInClouds]

Would a certain master mixer have a recipe to vape this?(@HeadInClouds...*clears throat*...hint hint....lol!)
http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/d...1&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=marketing-rod

Orange with a tablespoon of anise - ooooohhh! Did you bake one?
I think FA can do that (minus sesame, but that's optional anyway, and Inawera has that covered...)
On my list, and thanks for the idea!

 

[Teresa P]

Orange with a tablespoon of anise - ooooohhh! Did you bake one?
I think FA can do that... on my list, and thanks for the idea!

No, just got the email this afternoon, but it does look pretty darn good! To eat or vape!

 

[HeadInClouds]

http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/d...1&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=marketing-rod

@Teresa P - here ya go! Make Orange-Cardamom Bundt with these 2 changes:
* 1% FA Anise instead of Cardamom
* 0.5% Inawera Sesame instead of Coconut - or just skip both if you don't have the Sesame

I made mine a tiny batch & steeped with heat, because I'm impatient. I'd recommend just letting it sit a couple days - it really must steep some for those flavors to develop. In other words, not one to shake-and-vape.

Anise sweetens Sesame (which IMO contains diketones) well, and orange remains the focus. That's really just a whiff of sesame flavor - it's not one of Inawera's strong & bossy flavors - but that's enough to add a genuinely appealing, savory-nutty accent.

By the way, after doing some reading, I'll bet a totally authentic Greek recipe would use mastic rather than anise. Any Greek DIY'ers here who can confirm that? There IS a mastic flavoring out there, some foreign brand I saw online once (Greek?), but I don't have it. If you do, here's your chance to try it out!

 

[Heartsdelight]

@Teresa P - here ya go! Make Orange-Cardamom Bundt with these 2 changes:
* 1% FA Anise instead of Cardamom
* 0.5% Inawera Sesame instead of Coconut - or just skip both if you don't have the Sesame

I made mine a tiny batch & steeped with heat, because I'm impatient. I'd recommend just letting it sit a couple days - it really must steep some for those flavors to develop. In other words, not one to shake-and-vape.

Anise sweetens Sesame (which IMO contains diketones) well, and orange remains the focus. That's really just a whiff of sesame flavor - it's not one of Inawera's strong & bossy flavors - but that's enough to add a genuinely appealing, savory-nutty accent.

By the way, after doing some reading, I'll bet a totally authentic Greek recipe would use mastic rather than anise. Any Greek DIY'ers here who can confirm that? There IS a mastic flavoring out there, some foreign brand I saw online once (Greek?), but I don't have it. If you do, here's your chance to try it out!

Boy you're fast!

 

[HeadInClouds]

More about mastic, for flavor geeks.
"The subtle taste of mastic is hard to pinpoint exactly. Jim Botsacos, the chef at the restaurant, describes it as a combination of fennel, anise and mint. To me, it's the taste equivalent of the smell of a pine forest."
(from here: http://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/14/dining/an-elusive-flavor-of-greece.html)

So "smell of a pine forest"... There IS an FA flavoring similar to that. Trivia test: who can name it?

 

[soulseek]

Yes mastic flavour is very unique, hence difficult to replace/replicate. I'm Greek, living in Sweden so I've been exposed to plenty of anise (both use it differently) and obviously mastic; they're very different flavours.

There is a Greek company that sells a mastic flavour. It appears to be a natural extract of mastic, as it is very sticky and cloudy, however it is a very authentic flavour.

Something else that you would need for the "New Year's Cake" is a spice called mahlepi. Whoever, wrote that wikipedia reference mentions that it's similar to marzipan, however if you've had the real stuff, it's also quite different.

I don't have FA anise so I can't try this but I believe that replacing mastic with anise and mahlepi with marzipan, would definitely make for a good replacement/combination but quite a different flavour profile to the original New Years Cake.

I love mastic but I much prefer this swedish desert, which combines flavours of saffron and marzipan and originates from the simpler but very delicious lussekatter. I definitely need to work on a recipe, maybe a combination of Nonnas and Capella Yellow cake, with FA saffron and Marzipan,

 

[retrox]

Boy aren't you handsome! Did you try the Zeppola at 4%?

Happy at 3% stand alone, and I like to let it sit uncapped for a spell. Cinnamon is extra potent in my little flavor-cannon Kayfuns. Naturally, I'm going to put Sicily in it next, followed by Bilberry, followed by... well, both probably.

 

[Teresa P]

@Teresa P - here ya go! Make Orange-Cardamom Bundt with these 2 changes:
* 1% FA Anise instead of Cardamom
* 0.5% Inawera Sesame instead of Coconut - or just skip both if you don't have the Sesame

I made mine a tiny batch & steeped with heat, because I'm impatient. I'd recommend just letting it sit a couple days - it really must steep some for those flavors to develop. In other words, not one to shake-and-vape.

Anise sweetens Sesame (which IMO contains diketones) well, and orange remains the focus. That's really just a whiff of sesame flavor - it's not one of Inawera's strong & bossy flavors - but that's enough to add a genuinely appealing, savory-nutty accent.

By the way, after doing some reading, I'll bet a totally authentic Greek recipe would use mastic rather than anise. Any Greek DIY'ers here who can confirm that? There IS a mastic flavoring out there, some foreign brand I saw online once (Greek?), but I don't have it. If you do, here's your chance to try it out!

YES!! Gonna try that today! Matter of fact, I think I'll whip up a batch of both, haven't gotten to mix the Orange Cardamom Bundt in awhile! Thank you MUCH!

Boy you're fast!

Give this man an idea and you'll be vaping it in record time....lol! We don't call him The Master for nothin'....LOL!!

 

[HeadInClouds]

There is a Greek company that sells a mastic flavour. It appears to be a natural extract of mastic, as it is very sticky and cloudy, however it is a very authentic flavour.

Thank you! - yes, that's the brand I saw. "Sticky" doesn't sound vape-friendly, so I'll cross that off my list.

I've never heard of mahlepi. It makes sense that cherry pit kernels would taste similar to apricot pit kernels (which experts argue can either poison you or cure your cancer.) This kind of info fascinates me!

 

[HeadInClouds]

New today at HIC's Mixes : Lime Coolers

"Key lime cookies coated in cool, sweet powdered sugar. Not only is this an accurate flavor match, it truly captures the cool sweetness that makes the real cookies so fun to eat. This recipe requires only diketone-free FlavourArt flavorings, including Polar Blast (TFA Koolada can be used instead) and Metaphor."

 

[LittleBird]

It was a HIC's mixing morning: Strawberry Crown Cake and Banana Pudding. Both are breathing. I'm looking forward to trying them on the weekend!

 

[Foggz]

It was a HIC's mixing morning: Strawberry Crown Cake and Banana Pudding. Both are breathing. I'm looking forward to trying them on the weekend!

Haven't tried the SCC but the Banana Pudding is awesome!

FYI .. by 'breathing' do you mean 'venting' / leaving the mix open ? Think that this is only really necessary/recommended in conjunction with flavors that are alcohol based. Pretty sure HIC doesn't use any of those, so would want to say that 'breathing' is not necessary !