Vanilla

America's favorite pumpkin purée is actually made from squash, so why not turn to the earthy sweetness of fresh butternut squash? It's dead easy to prepare at home and tastes more vibrantly "pumpkin" than anything from a can.

These easy to make, customizable bars are packed with enough virtuous things that you might almost forget they’re dessert. Pack them in lunches, take them on road trips, or serve them for family movie nights—everyone will be happy.

On family travels, hikes, or days when you’re on the go, recipes like this always make for happy and satiated people, especially kids. This delicious snack is one of the best garnishes for any kind of salad or roasted vegetables.

Pumpkin mousse, whipped cream, and pretty pomegranate syrup give this elegant spin on pumpkin pie a jewel-like presentation that's both stunning and delicious.

Coarse-flake sea salt meets sweet, buttery, crowd-pleasing cookies.

Use this quick and easy vanilla cookie recipe to make Simple Vanilla Jam Drops.

You don't need mystical powers to conjure the magical swirl in this spooky cake that's perfect for a Halloween party.

I developed this low-maintenance recipe in my restaurant days, when I needed a big batch of whipped cream to last through the night in a steamy kitchen. The trick is a bit of extra sugar, which helps the cream whip into a stable foam that can be held for up to eight hours.

Cooking the apples with their skins on adds a beautiful rosy blush to the finished sauce.

These sugared doughnuts are craggy and crunchy on the outside, tender and moist on the inside. Apple butter (not sauce!) is key to their texture and flavor; look for it alongside jams and jellies in the supermarket, or at farmers’ markets, or make your own.

Stir the last few kernels of fresh corn into these sweet-and-savory waffles. No fresh strawberries where you are? Frozen, or even sliced plums, work just as well.

A combination of nut butter, dried fruit, and lots of seeds makes these chewy homemade granola bars downright irresistible. For a crispier bar, toast them in the oven after baking.

Okay, this is actually a cheesecake, but it's so creamy and light that you won't care what it's called, you'll just ask for more.

Bake your plums in an anise-tinged, pancake-like batter for a simple dessert that’s airy, silky, and just sweet enough.

Vanilla-infused brown butter adds nuttiness to tender pears beneath a crisp almond topping.

This smooth custard in a flaky shell with a crackling burnt-sugar top was one of the most popular desserts at Michael's in Santa Monica.

The sweet, fresh flavor of these orange cupcakes, studded with tart cranberries (fresh and frozen work equally well), makes for a vibrant holiday dessert as worthy of Thanksgiving as any pie.