Recipes with vanilla bean

Chocolate cookies with powdered sugar coating. Very chocolaty, yum!

The famous "Better Than Sex" chocolate cake: box mix doctored with pudding, sour cream, real coffee, chocolate chips, and toasted pecans. Tube-baked and drizzled with a glossy chocolate glaze.

Just 4 ingredients and no oven needed. Couscous cooked in apple juice with vanilla sets into a sliceable cake studded with fresh blueberries. Naturally vegan, low-fat, and surprisingly satisfying for a healthy no-bake dessert.

This two-layer banana cake with buttermilk and chopped pecans bakes up incredibly moist and tender. Made with cake flour for a fine, soft crumb, it's the kind of from-scratch banana cake that wins blue ribbons.

Whole rye berry porridge simmered with cinnamon, caraway, and vanilla, finished with plump raisins. A chewy, nutty Scandinavian breakfast topped with ricotta. Slow-cooked comfort in a bowl.

Layers of homemade sponge roll with raspberry jam, sherry-soaked custard, crunchy amaretti, and piped whipped cream make this Scottish trifle a showstopper British dessert.

Kutia, a traditional Polish Christmas pudding made with wheat berries, ground poppy seeds, honey, walnuts, almonds, figs, dates, and rum-soaked currants. A treasured holiday dessert.

A San Francisco classic: angel food cake layered with vanilla whipped cream and coated in shattered coffee toffee crunch. This showstopping retro dessert is pure texture and flavor.

Intensely rich chocolate silk mousse cake baked in a water bath with a pound of semi-sweet chocolate and a glossy ganache glaze. Make up to 3 days ahead. Serves 8.

Fudge cake with sea foam frosting layers tender chocolate cake under a glossy brown-sugar Italian meringue. A vintage two-layer beauty with optional chocolate-marbled topping.

Moist date cake with a bubbly brown sugar and coconut topping baked right on. Dates simmered in water create natural sweetness, while the toasted coconut layer adds caramel crunch.

Cream cheese and cottage cheese cheesecake on a pecan graham cracker crust, topped with a homemade blueberry glaze. Slow-cooled in the oven for a crack-free finish.

Lighter cranberry orange cheesecake made with cottage cheese, light cream cheese, and yogurt on a graham cracker crust. Topped with a glossy, homemade cranberry-orange compote.

Buttermilk chocolate cake split and filled with coconut-pecan cream, then blanketed in sour cream chocolate frosting. A Southern showpiece worth every step.

Turn stale bread into chewy, cinnamon-spiced cookies packed with plump raisins and crunchy nuts. Breadcrumb cookies are a clever zero-waste baking trick your grandma probably knew.

Cook a silky coconut custard filling in a double boiler, pour into a flaky crust, then crown with toasted coconut meringue for a classic cream pie that slices like a dream.

Classic New York cheesecake with a graham cracker crust, silky cream cheese and sour cream filling, and a no-crack hot-then-low oven method for a perfectly smooth top.

Classic Southern chess pie with a custardy brown sugar and vanilla filling baked in a flaky pastry shell. A simple pantry pie with a crackly sugar top and silky middle.

Fresh gingerbread cake paired with whole pears poached in ruby port with ginger, cinnamon, and vanilla. Served with ginger-scented whipped cream for an elegant holiday dessert plate.

Italian polenta cake with ground almonds, cornmeal, orange and lemon zest, and vanilla bean. Naturally gluten-free with a tender, grainy crumb and citrus perfume.

Fat-free pumpkin muffins with grated carrots, raisins, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. No butter, no oil, just pumpkin puree and eggs holding these light muffins together.

Vietnamese sesame cookies (bánh mè) with toasted sesame both ground into the dough and pressed onto the tops. Crisp, nutty, and sealed with an egg-wash gloss.

Chewy oatmeal cookies packed with semi-sweet chocolate and butterscotch chips for a sweet-salty one-two punch. Makes 60 golden cookies with crispy edges and soft, oat-studded centers.

A fat-free marbled sponge cake with swirled vanilla white and lemon-yellow batters baked in a tube pan. Feather-light and elegant for any occasion.

Zucchini bread with applesauce instead of oil, raisins, and cinnamon, baked into 2 moist loaves. A lighter zucchini bread recipe that uses applesauce to replace oil without sacrificing texture.

German cheese torte with a cinnamon graham crust top and bottom, filled with ricotta beaten with eggs, sugar, and a splash of heavy cream. Old-world dessert, baked in a springform.

Intensely fudgy brownies with a crackly, craggy top loaded with melted chocolate chips and chopped nuts. These one-bowl bars are rich, chewy, and dangerously easy to make.

Moist chocolate cake with hot coffee, cocoa, and vegetable oil for an extra-tender crumb. Topped with the old-fashioned cooked-flour buttercream that tastes like whipped cream.

Whole wheat carrot pineapple muffins with brown sugar, cinnamon, and crushed pineapple juice in the batter. Tender, fruity, and best served warm straight from the oven.

Mini chocolate chip cheesecakes: fudgy chocolate cupcake batter topped with a creamy cream cheese dollop and studded with mini chips. Pop-in-your-mouth sized, bake-sale ready, impossible to eat just one.

Mocha buttercrunch pie with a pecan-chocolate shortbread crust, a frozen mocha mousse filling, and a coffee whipped cream top studded with chocolate chips. Three layers of coffee-and-chocolate richness in every slice.

Cream cheese cookie bars with a buttery brown sugar walnut crumble crust and tangy cheesecake filling. Easy to bake, cut into squares, and best served chilled.

The name of these triple chocolate cookies says it all- or almost. Serve them only to guests who you don't want to have leave- ever!

Apple dessert bars with a buttery shortbread crust, cinnamon-lemon apple layer, and a rich coconut-nut custard topping that bakes into chewy squares.

A no-churn frozen chocolate dessert made with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, condensed milk, and toasted almonds. Silky, scoopable, and effortlessly elegant with just 5 ingredients.

Crisp, crumbly Swedish coconut cookies leavened with baker's ammonia for an ultra-light snap. Rolled into walnut-sized balls and baked until golden. Makes 4 dozen buttery, coconut-flecked treats in under an hour.

Buttery carob pound cake made with whole wheat flour and honey instead of refined sugar. Baked in a tube pan until dense, moist, and rich with warm, toasty carob flavor.

Vanilla sheet cake split and filled with a whipped butter-shortening cream made with evaporated milk. Cut into squares for individual cream-filled cakes that taste like homemade Twinkies.

Marshmallow clouds wrap chocolate-pecan cookie dough around frozen mini marshmallows for soft, pillowy cookies with surprise sweet chewy centers. Better than s'mores, baked at home.

Chewy oatmeal cookies loaded with milk chocolate chips, chopped toffee bars, and maple syrup. Rolled into balls and baked until just set for a soft, chewy center.

Sugarless slice-and-bake cookies made with whole wheat flour, chewy dates, toasted coconut, fresh orange zest, and crunchy pecans. Naturally sweetened by fruit alone, these make 5 dozen crisp, nutty rounds.

Scottish oaten bread baked in the bread machine on the quick bread cycle: a hearty loaf with rolled oats, walnuts, chopped prunes, and cola for sweetness and dark color. Soft, dense crumb with tea-cake character.

Classic divinity candy with a detailed step-by-step guide for getting it right every time. Sugar, corn syrup, and whipped egg whites folded with nuts and vanilla into cloud-like confections.

Buttery lemon poppy seed bundt cake with a tangy lemon sugar glaze. Inspired by the famous Chez Piggy restaurant in Kingston, Ontario, this tender crumb melts on the tongue.

Have some fun when it comes to baking with these scrumptious cookies your kids will love!

Bomma's heirloom date nut cookies made with beaten egg whites, chopped dates, and pecans. No butter needed! Light, chewy, and naturally sweet. Makes 60 cookies.

Classic sour cream coffee cake with three layers of cinnamon-walnut streusel baked in a tube pan. Rich, tender crumb that serves 16 and fills the kitchen with warm spice.

Vintage 1935 chocolate yeast bread with cocoa, pecans, and vanilla kneaded by hand and baked into a dark, fragrant loaf. A Depression-era recipe worth reviving.