Recipes with vanilla bean

Decadent chocolate mint melt-aways: tender piped mint shortbread topped with white chocolate mint ganache and dipped in bittersweet chocolate. Three layers of cool mint and rich chocolate in one cookie.

A sweet and scrumptious side dish made with sweet potatoes, coconut and pecans.

Lighter pumpkin chiffon pie set in a crackling honey-brushed phyllo crust. Gelatin-stabilized filling with whipped egg whites for a cloud-soft texture and far less fat than custard pie.

Apple sheet cake with pecans and a warm brown sugar icing poured straight over the pan. Three cups of fresh apple keep every slice deeply moist.

Fudgy chocolate roll-out cookies made with melted unsweetened chocolate and brown sugar. A rich, dark cookie dough that rolls, cuts into shapes, and bakes in under 10 minutes for a deeply chocolatey result.

Heart shaped cookie bakes a giant chocolate chip cookie in a 9-inch heart pan, then crowns it with melted chocolate frosting. Edible Valentine's gift you frost and decorate at home.

Spotted chocolate cheesecake with lychee sauce features cream cheese and mascarpone filling, piped white "spots," and a fragrant lychee-lemon puree. A showstopper dessert.

Apple dabble cake baked in a tube pan with chopped apples, cinnamon, and nuts, then drenched in a hot brown sugar-butter glaze that soaks in as it cools. A dense, moist apple cake.

Wholesome layered bar cookies with a tahini-oat-almond crumb crust and a cocoa filling made from tofu, ricotta, and maple syrup. Sweetened naturally and full of fiber.

California ricotta cake: devil's food cake layers brushed with orange liqueur, filled and frosted with sweet ricotta whipped with cream, orange zest, almonds, and chocolate chips.

Scotch shortbread balls dipped in fudgy chocolate frosting. Buttery, sandy crumb with a glossy chocolate cap. Holiday cookie tin essential.

Light, airy cheesecake made with pressed cottage cheese and whipped cream in spiced rusk crust, topped with strawberry glaze studded with whole berries.

Freezer cinnamon fruit rolls with soft yeasted dough, a rich filling of brown sugar, golden raisins, dried apricots, pecans, and cinnamon, finished with a simple sugar glaze. Make ahead and freeze for up to 2 months.

Waldorf red cake is the original 1920s Waldorf-Astoria red velvet cake with cocoa, buttermilk, and vinegar, finished with the classic ermine (cooked flour) frosting that ages out a true red velvet from cream cheese cake.

Three-layer German chocolate cake with mashed potatoes in the batter for a tender crumb, German milk chocolate, and a cooked pecan-coconut frosting that's stirred for 12 minutes until golden.

Neapolitan cheesecake with three layers: strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate on a chocolate crumb crust. A showstopping ice-cream-inspired dessert in cheesecake form.

Peanut butter cup cheesecake on a chocolate cookie-peanut crust, loaded with chopped peanut butter cups and finished with a vanilla sour cream topping. Make-ahead friendly.

Chocolate marshmallow bars with unsweetened chocolate, pecans, and toasted marshmallow tops baked on a fudgy brownie base. Only 8 ingredients and 45 minutes start to finish.

Praline cheesecake with dark brown sugar cream cheese filling, chopped pecans folded in, and a maple syrup glaze topped with pecan halves. Rich, Southern-inspired, on a graham cracker crust.

Cranberry cheesecake on a buttery walnut-graham crust, with a layer of cranberry sauce hidden beneath a creamy sour cream filling. A festive, crack-free holiday cheesecake topped with sugared cranberries.

This cake is remarkable; no one would ever believe that it is so low in fat and calories.

Do you like oatmeal, but are tired of the traditional boring bowl? Well here is a little twist on an old favorite! With the addition of apples, chia seeds and flaxseed meal, This breakfast is both very tasty and is high in omega 3 and fiber!

French apple pie with vanilla custard filling, butter-sauteed Granny Smith apples, apricot preserves glaze, and a golden lattice crust. A bakery-level showpiece.

Amish cookies made with both butter and corn oil, two kinds of sugar, and cream of tartar for a melt-in-your-mouth texture. A massive 8-dozen batch of simple, old-fashioned sugar cookies.

Upside-down pear gingerbread cake with caramelized pear slices under a spiced molasses cake loaded with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Served with vanilla whipped cream.

Annie's butter cookies: one buttery, rich dough that shapes into candy canes, pinwheels, spritzes, cutouts, or drop cookies. The Christmas-cookie foundation worth memorizing.

Old-school chocolate layer cake with a tender, fudgy crumb thanks to the boiling water trick. Unsweetened chocolate, cake flour, and triple-sifted dry goods build classic bakery-style layers.

Coconut fudge cake filling made with cream cheese, chocolate chips, and flaked coconut. A rich, no-bake filling that swirls into bundt or ring cakes before baking.

Jewish apple cake layered with cinnamon sugar and sliced apples in a tube pan. A dairy-free oil-based cake with orange juice, perfect for Rosh Hashanah or any fall gathering.

Blackberry cream nut tart with a flaky shortening crust, white chocolate cream cheese filling, boysenberry-glazed blackberries, and a walnut lattice topping.

Silky pumpkin mousse with warm spices and caramel, set with gelatin for airy texture. Elegant make-ahead dessert that tastes like autumn in a glass.

Honey-sweetened whole wheat apple muffins with grated apple, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and sunflower seeds. No refined sugar, moist crumb, and ready in 30 minutes.

Low-calorie pumpkin muffins made with skim milk powder, pumpkin pie spice, grated carrots, and raisins. No oil, no butter, and only 7 tablespoons of flour in the whole batch.

Brown butter blackberry charlotte with ladyfingers, eggs, and vanilla baked until crusty on top and custard-smooth inside. A French-style dessert that freezes beautifully for up to 4 months.

These muffins are moist and very tasty. You can use either fresh or frozen strawberries. The sugared almonds give them a nice crunchy topping. They are great for a mid-morning snack with a friend.

Lighter honey vanilla cheesecake made with reduced-fat cream cheese, cottage cheese, and fat-free ricotta on a gingersnap crust. Sweetened with honey instead of sugar and baked with steam for a silky, crack-free top.

Brownie cakes in a jar bake a rich, cinnamon-spiced chocolate cake right inside canning jars, then seal them hot for a charming, giftable treat. Walnut-studded, fudgy, and ready to tie with a ribbon.

Mother's Day baked apple-cinnamon French toast assembles overnight, then bakes into a puffed, custardy casserole with dried apples, raisins, and warm spices. Zero morning-of stress.

Herbal lemon cookies with fresh lemongrass, lemon thyme, or lemon basil baked into a buttery sugar cookie. A unique drop cookie with real herb flavor in every bite.

Silky cheesecake made with fat-free cream cheese and graham cracker crust. Lightened-up classic with creamy texture that doesn't taste like diet food.

Three-layer pistachio cake with white chocolate buttercream, orange zest, and almond extract. A showstopper dessert with chopped pistachios pressed into the frosting.

This pie is super delicious and it is always a big hit at our family gathering dinner.

No-bake frozen fruitcake salad with sour cream, whipped topping, candied cherries, pineapple, bananas, and pecans. A retro holiday dessert that freezes into a creamy, fruity slice.

Almond orange chocolate biscotti: toasted slivered almonds, orange zest, and chocolate chips folded into a buttery twice-baked Italian cookie dough with a splash of amaretto. Perfect with coffee.

Crazy cake (depression cake) is an egg-free, dairy-free chocolate cake mixed directly in the baking pan with cocoa, oil, vinegar, and water. Vegan-friendly and ridiculously easy.

Coca-Cola cake frosting boils butter, cocoa, and cola together then pours over powdered sugar with pecans and vanilla. A warm, pourable Southern frosting for chocolate sheet cake.

This winning decorated cookie charmed us with its sophisticated look and pleasing chocolate-pepperminty flavor. It's from Deb Bonfiglio of River Hills.

Sour cream apple coffee cake with two cups of chopped apple in a tender crumb and a brown sugar, nut, and cinnamon topping. Bake in a 9x13 pan or a bundt.