A good dessert topping should make the thing underneath it taste better. That is why lightly sweetened vanilla bean whipped cream works so well with tart berries, dark chocolate cake, or a slice of warm fruit pie. It brings creaminess without demanding too much attention. The tiny vanilla specks are a lovely detail, but texture […]

Some kitchen projects sound lovely and then spend six months at the back of a cupboard. Vanilla sugar deserves a better fate. It takes very little effort to make, and it fits into things you probably already prepare: coffee, oatmeal, cookies, and the occasional bowl of strawberries. The trick is to make a sensible amount […]

How to Use Vanilla Beans Without Wasting the Pod A vanilla bean can look a little mysterious the first time you take one out of the package. It is long, dark, and nothing like the bottle of extract most of us keep beside the baking powder. Where do you cut it? Which part goes into […]