Recipes with vanilla extract

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.