Recipes with vanilla extract

Gypsy John is a layered chocolate cake with rum-spiked whipped chocolate filling and a glossy ganache frosting. A rich, elegant dessert cut into squares for easy serving.

Microwave chocolate turtle cheesecake layered with gooey caramel, pecans, cream cheese filling, and a chocolate chip topping. Ready in 40 minutes with no oven required.

Rice pudding tart with red wine-poached pears fanned on top, finished under the broiler for a caramelized sugar crust. An elegant dessert that can be made ahead.

Classic savayar (savoiardi), Italian ladyfinger cookies piped from a sponge batter of egg yolks, whipped whites, sugar, and flour. Crisp outside, tender inside, the perfect tiramisu builder or dessert dunker.

An intensely dark chocolate sheet cake made with strong black coffee and buttermilk, topped with a rich "Hundred Dollar Frosting" of melted chocolate, butter, walnuts, and a surprising touch of lemon juice.

Spiced cranberry relish caramelizes sugar, then cooks fresh cranberries with diced orange, lime, raisins, ginger, cinnamon, and vanilla bean for a complex holiday relish that improves with time.

An oat cookie topped with chocolate with a pecan half embedded into each cookie. Looks great, tastes even better! Surprise your family with these delicious treats made with pecans and rolled oats.

Cafe con miel is Spanish honey coffee with warm milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. A cozy 20-minute drink that doubles as a light dessert. Three ingredients you already have.

Rolled animal cookies made from buttery sugar cookie dough with cream, cut into animal shapes and decorated with colored sugar, chocolate sprinkles, and raisins. Great for Christmas tree ornaments.

Soft, fudgy chocolate cookies with cocoa and mini chocolate chips, made with cream cheese for an impossibly chewy texture. Just 8 minutes in the oven and you've got 32 eggless cookies.

Peach Melba parfaits with peach-amaretto vanilla ice cream layered with raspberry coulis and fresh berries. Escoffier's classic dessert in parfait form.

Nutter Butter chocolate-peanut butter pie packs a crushed peanut butter sandwich cookie crust under a frozen mousse of whipped cream, peanut butter, and toasted peanuts, swirled with melted semi-sweet chocolate.

Light, puffy cheese toast made with ricotta and cream cheese on raisin bread. A quick toaster oven snack that bakes up golden in just 5 minutes. Weight Watchers friendly!

Microwave strawberry cheesecake lightened with stiffly beaten egg whites for an airy, mousse-like texture. A no-bake-style cheesecake on a zwieback crust with sour cream topping and fresh strawberries.

Fudgy Greenwich Village brownies with melted unsweetened chocolate, brown sugar, corn syrup, and loaded with pecans. Rich, dense, and chewy with a crackly pecan-studded top.

Place plain, nonfat yogurt into cheese cloth or a coffee filter. Place in strainer over a small bowl or cup. Allow to drain 2 to 24 hours, covered and refrigerated, until cheese reached desired consistency. Discard the whey (liquid). Store in covered container in refrigerator.