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Vanilla

Stovetop Butterscotch Apples and Cranberries

Serve these luscious butterscotch-glazed apples with Cinnamon-Oat Crumble Topping for a quick apple crisp, atop pancakes or a Dutch Baby for a delicious fall-flavored breakfast, or alongside our Build-Your-Own Thanksgiving Pie Bar.

Vanilla Chai Cupcakes

Anybody who knows me knows that I have a soft spot for cupcakes and soy chai lattes, so combining these two creates my own piece of heaven. These cupcakes are moist, tender, and lightly spicy, thanks to the combination of ginger and cardamom. Go ahead and pair with a steaming hot chai latte...you won’t overdo it.

Vanilla-Buttermilk Cake With Raspberries and Orange Cream-Cheese Frosting

This tender buttermilk cake with rich orange cream-cheese frosting is sure to become your go-to for any festive occasion.

Hibiscus, Orange, and Vanilla Agua Fresca

True, this concoction is slightly more complex than lemonade. But so are most relationships.

The Wedding Cake You Can Make Yourself

Baking a wedding cake is not as hard as it sounds! This stunning and delicious cake is designed with the average home baker in mind.

Vanilla-Buttermilk Wedding Cake with Raspberries and Orange Cream-Cheese Frosting

Baking a wedding cake is not as crazy—or difficult—as it sounds! This stunning and delicious cake is designed to be as streamlined as possible. The moist buttermilk cake requires no trimming, the cream cheese frosting is much more simple (and just as stable) as wedding cake's typical buttercream, and edible flowers and pretty raspberries make decorating a breeze.

Vanilla-Buttermilk Sheet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

A little orange juice (and zest) wakes up the icing of this crowd-pleasing cake with sweet citrus flavor.

Tarocco Spritz

Inspired by a cocktail from New York City bartender Natasha David, the crimson-colored Tarocco Spritz is a nod to the flavor and color of the Sicilian Tarocco orange, often referred to as the “half-blood orange.” A mixed-heritage cocktail, this drink has a bumped-up base of gin to match the vibrant bitter aperitivo liqueur Cappelletti. The drink’s acidity comes courtesy of blood orange, lemon juice, and prosecco, bound together by the unlikely addition of vanilla, which complements Cappelletti’s notes of spice and oxidation.

Toasted Marshmallow Butterscotch Pie

Showstoppers like this don’t come easy. Here’s the strategy: Blind bake the crust on Day 1; fill and bake on Day 2; and assemble on Day 3.

It's Time to Stop Underestimating Vanilla

The flavoring might be ubiquitous, but it's far from boring. Here's what to look for when you're buying it, and how to store it at home.

Skip Vanilla, Use Rose Water Instead

Cookies, cocktails, roast chicken. Here's how to cook with rose water.

Strawberries With Balsamic Toffee

When you have good, fresh strawberries, you don't really need to do too much to them. Try this simple preparation for dessert tonight.

Peaches and Crema Paleta Pops

The classic combination of peaches and cream takes a trip south of the border in these cinnamon-spiked ice pops.

Jordan Marsh-Inspired Blueberry Muffins

These muffins are a clone of "The Famous Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins"—which were indeed famous up until the mid-1990s, when Jordan's, one of Boston's two iconic department stores (Filene's being the other) was absorbed by Macy's and effectively disappeared. These overstuffed muffins, with their signature sugary crown, were served in the Jordan Marsh dining room on the top floor of the store, where dedicated shoppers went to rest and compare purchases while sipping tea and enjoying a muffin—blueberry, of course.

Caramel Corn Blondies

Imagine what would happen if gooey butterscotch cookies and crunchy Cracker Jack had a love child. Caramel corn blondies are born! These are best served the day they are made for the crunchiest texture, but they are still yummy as the popcorn softens. It shouldn't be a problem though, since they take just minutes to throw together.

Dark Chocolate Avocado Brownies

These vegan brownies took at least thirty rounds of serious test-kitchen madness (not kidding!). When we finally said, okay, okay, moist and crumbly and chocolatey and delicious, we gave in. I used flaxseed meal and warm water to create a binder that replaces the need for egg. These egg-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, guilt-free brownies are some of the best you will ever taste! They will crumble a bit more than regular brownies, so beware of crumbs!

Thousand Flavor Syrup

A thousand might be an exaggeration, but this complex syrup can be used many ways. Add to spritzers, drizzle over fruit, mix into yogurt, or spoon onto grapefruit halves (to name just a few).

Blueberry Streusel Cake

We doubt you'll have any leftovers from this homey blueberry cake crowned by a buttery, brown-sugar-sweetened streusel topping, but if you do, it will make a fabulous companion to your morning coffee.

Cornmeal Waffles with Currant-Maple Sauce

If you can't find currants (check the farmers' market first), use any other berry or a mix.