Recipes with vanilla extract

Persimmon pudding cake, a moist autumn loaf with ripe persimmons, brandy, warm spices, raisins, and walnuts. Served with a brandy ricotta topping for fall holiday gatherings.

Persimmon pudding cake, a moist autumn loaf with ripe persimmons, brandy, warm spices, raisins, and walnuts. Served with a brandy ricotta topping for fall holiday gatherings.

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.

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.

Drop donuts (no-cut, no-roll) made with buttermilk, eggs, and lemon zest, fried golden and finished with honey and cinnamon. The fastest fried doughnut recipe you'll find.

Alsatian apple cake with four pounds of Golden Delicious apples, honey, rum, and a caramelized egg-butter-brown sugar topping. A rustic French apple dessert.

Snow cap meringue cookies fold semi-sweet chocolate chips into low-and-slow baked egg-white meringues, then dip the tops in melted white chocolate. Crisp, airy holiday cookies. Makes 6 dozen.

Whole-wheat sourdough applesauce cake bakes up moist and tender in a tube pan, with cinnamon, allspice, and clove warming a tangy starter-and-applesauce batter. A bundt-shaped keeper for fall.

Moist chocolate cake made with buttermilk, cocoa powder, vegetable oil, and boiling water. No butter needed for an incredibly tender, rich crumb that stays moist for days.

Coconut-pineapple whole wheat bread machine recipe with crushed pineapple, shredded coconut, and brown sugar. A tropical twist on homemade wheat bread.

Low fat fudge brownie sundae cake is made with cocoa powder, low-fat milk and applesauce.

No-bake strawberry icebox cake with vanilla wafer crumbs, whipped cream, and fresh berries layered in a springform pan. Freezes for an hour and slices beautifully.

Chocolate chip cheesecake on a graham crust with whipped egg whites folded in for lift, layered with chips top and bottom. Bake short for gooey New York style, longer for a souffle-fluffy rise.

Soft Hawaiian sweet bread with real mashed potatoes and pineapple juice. Buttery golden loaves with tropical sweetness, perfect for sandwiches or toasting.

Light pumpkin praline cheesecake: low-fat cottage cheese stands in for cream cheese, wheat germ replaces graham crumbs in the crust, and pumpkin pie spice carries the flavor. Topped with maple-drizzled pecans.

Dishpan cookies loaded with oats, corn flakes, coconut, and nuts. A classic farmhouse batch cookie so big you mix it in a dishpan. Crispy edges, chewy centers.