Recipes with vanilla bean

Chocolate raspberry layer cake: a moist buttermilk-cocoa sponge cut into three layers and filled with an airy raspberry cream of Italian meringue folded into raspberry whipped cream. A showstopping, lighter-than-it-looks dessert.

Toffee squares with a buttery brown sugar shortbread base, melted chocolate on top, and chopped nuts. A sheet pan cookie bar that's rich, crunchy, and easy to make.

Lisa's taffy apple dip with cream cheese, brown sugar, powdered sugar, and vanilla. A four-ingredient party dip that tastes like a caramel apple without the mess.

Brown sugar pie with a rich, caramel-flavored custard filling topped with golden meringue. An old-fashioned Southern cream pie made from simple pantry staples.

Roll-and-cut sugar cookies painted with egg yolk food coloring before baking. A fun decorating activity for kids with a crisp, golden result every time.

Orange-berry bundt cake, a rich, moist citrus pound cake brightened with orange juice and lemon, made tender with heavy cream and extra egg yolks, then dusted with sugar and crowned with fresh raspberries.

Kahlua brownies with melted unsweetened chocolate, coffee liqueur, and instant coffee in the batter, topped with a boiled chocolate icing and scattered chocolate chips. Triple chocolate and coffee in every bite.

Truffled chocolate cake made by layering store-bought pound cake with a rich chocolate ganache frosting. Just four ingredients and no baking needed.

Toasty pecan drop cookies with German sweet chocolate, cinnamon, and toasted pecans. Brownie-like centers with crisp edges, two dozen in 30 minutes.

Maple glazed pumpkin ring cake with brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and real maple syrup in both the batter and the sour cream glaze.

White chocolate pecan chunk cookies baked low and slow at 300F for tender, soft-set centers. Hand-chopped white chocolate bars give bigger pools than chips, plus toasted pecans for crunch.

Molletes are traditional Mexican cookies made with cornmeal, butter, egg yolks, and pine nuts. Lightly sweet with a sandy, crumbly texture from the cornmeal.

Four-layer coconut cake with coconut filling spread between each layer. A classic Southern layer cake made with shortening for a tender, fine crumb.

Lots of pecans and whole wheat flour give these wafers a very nutty and tangy flavour, also we use half butter and half oil to cut down the saturated fat, but the amount of butter gives the enough buttery taste and texture.

Fudgy brownies made with a full bag of melted chocolate chips, butter, and whole wheat flour. Six ingredients, 30 minutes, and intensely chocolatey in every bite.

Sour cream sugar cookies are soft, puffy, and rolled in sugar before flattening and baking. The sour cream keeps these tender for days with a slight tang that balances the sweetness.

Sesame biscotti with toasted sesame seeds baked into a crisp, twice-baked Italian cookie. Low-fat with no butter or oil, just eggs and vanilla. Perfect for dunking in coffee or tea.

Double chocolate bar cake with melted milk chocolate, cocoa, and sour cream batter, filled and frosted with whipped chocolate cream. A light, airy three-layer stunner.

Easy coconut quick bread with toasted unsweetened coconut for nutty, caramelized depth. A one-bowl loaf with tender crumb and tropical flavor. Mixes in minutes and bakes hands-off.

Spiced butterhorn rolls made with yeasted dough cut into wedges, spread with egg white and sugar, sprinkled with nuts, and rolled into crescents with a butter frosting.

I liked these a lot. The poppyseed taste is subtle yet makes them a little different and more "elegant" than ordinary butter cookies.

Southern chess pie with a custardy filling of eggs, sugar, butter, and a splash of vinegar, thickened with cornmeal in a pre-made pie shell. Old-school Southern dessert.

Mom's cream cheese pie on a vanilla wafer crust, topped with a sweetened sour cream layer and baked in two quick stages. A simple, no-fuss cheesecake-style pie that's been a family favorite for generations.

Honey-kissed pears: canned pear halves warmed in a cinnamon-orange syrup with brandy, raisins, and honey. A low-effort dessert that pairs with ice cream or yogurt.

Cherry-stuffed cookies dipped in white and dark chocolate with chopped pecans. Each cookie hides a whole maraschino cherry inside a tender dough shell.

Red Velvet Cocoa Cake made with buttermilk, cocoa powder, and vinegar for a tender, tangy crumb with that classic crimson color. A Southern layer cake staple.

Chocolate spritz cookies made with cocoa and real butter, pressed into shapes and drizzled with melted semi-sweet chocolate. A holiday cookie press classic.

Pecan-lemon shortbread hearts: buttery food-processor shortbread brightened with fresh lemon zest and toasted pecans, cut into hearts for Valentine's, weddings, or any tea tray that needs charm.

Waldorf Astoria red velvet cake made with buttermilk, cocoa, and red food coloring, topped with a cooked flour frosting that tastes like whipped cream. The legendary original recipe.

A spicy cookie with a mealy, rather unusual texture.

Spiced applesauce bread with cinnamon, cloves, plumped raisins, and walnuts. A moist quick bread loaf baked with real applesauce for tender crumb.

Cream cheese butter cookies topped with fresh strawberry halves. A simple thumbprint-style cookie with a tender, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread base and bright berry on top.

Classic butter cookies with a hint of orange juice and vanilla, rolled and cut into shapes, then topped with a creamy buttercream frosting. A versatile holiday cookie perfect for decorating.

Soft honey carrot cookies with shredded carrots, nutmeg, and real honey for natural sweetness. Shaped into 1-inch balls for a tender, cake-like bite.

Crustless fudge pie with just seven pantry ingredients. A brownie-meets-flourless-cake dessert with a crackly top and dense, fudgy middle. Ready in under an hour, no pie crust required.

Sour cream apple pie with a cinnamon-spiced shortbread crust and a buttery walnut streusel top. McIntosh apples bake into a custardy filling that sets up creamy under the crunchy walnut topping.

Buttery pecan snowball cookies rolled in powdered sugar. No eggs, no leavening, just six ingredients for a crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread-style cookie.

Parisian Sophisticates: almond-vanilla buttermilk cupcakes hollowed out and filled with airy chocolate truffle mousse, topped with toasted cake crumbs. Vintage tea-party fancy.

Sunny cocoa drop cookies are light chocolate-orange cookies made with corn oil spread and sour cream, then finished with a glossy cocoa drizzle. Lower-fat drop cookie, four dozen per batch.

Chocolate pizzelle cookies made with cocoa powder, melted butter, and vanilla, pressed on a pizzelle iron. An Italian waffle cookie with a rich chocolate twist.

These rich brownies are full of chocolate flavor, if you are a big fan of chocolate, you will love these sweet treats. Also the pecans give the nutty taste and nice crunch in every bite.

Chocolate thins are ultra-thin, crispy chocolate cookie bars spread in a sheet pan and topped with chopped walnuts. A quick one-bowl recipe baked in just 10-12 minutes.

Three-layer orange cream brownies with a fudgy walnut brownie base, fluffy orange buttercream middle, and a glossy chocolate icing top. The Terry's Chocolate Orange in bar form, cut into 36 perfect bites.

Crustless walnut fudge pie with melted unsweetened chocolate, butter, and chopped walnuts baked in a pie pan. Dense, rich, and brownie-like. Freezer-friendly.

Chunky peanut butter cookies rolled in sugar and pressed with a fork. A big-batch recipe with both white and brown sugar for crispy edges and chewy centers.

Rich cocoa chocolate cake with buttermilk and boiling water, frosted with a fluffy marshmallow icing. Triple-sifted dry ingredients and a double boiler frosting make this a showstopper.

Chocolate pan cake pours hot cocoa-butter liquid into a buttermilk batter, bakes in a 13x9 pan, and gets a warm cocoa glaze poured over while still hot. Southern Texas sheet cake classic.

Praline sauce made with dark brown sugar, toasted pecans, and vanilla, thickened with cornstarch and skim milk. A lighter take on the classic Southern dessert sauce.