vanilla bean

Baked Pumpkin Brioche Donuts

October 20, 2017 by Melina Thompson Leave a Comment

It is finally that time of year again when pumpkins are popping up everywhere, leaves are turning, the weather is getting cold and pumpkin spice is in the air. Well, sort of. It definitely is if you are making these Baked Pumpkin Brioche Donuts with Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing! These yeast donuts are baked but can be fried, if you’re up to it. Brioche donuts contain significantly more eggs and a whole lot more butter than regular yeast donuts which makes them richer and just, well, more delicious in my opinion. These babies here also contain pumpkin and pumpkin spice – the perfect treat for Halloween and Thanksgiving, or, really any time during this cozy season. …

Vanilla Chiffon Cake with Blueberry Buttercream

July 26, 2017 by Melina Thompson Leave a Comment

I made this Vanilla Chiffon Cake with Blueberry Buttercream for the first time about 4 years ago for my husband for Valentine’s, but didn’t get a chance to document it. I’ve been meaning to make this again ever since because it was so pretty and delicious (even my husband loved it! He’s not the biggest cake eater, ironically…) and I finally came around to it when Challenge Butter asked me to come up with a buttercream recipe for their Community blog.

There is just something about the combination of vanilla and blueberry – such a classic. This one here is made of light and moist layers of vanilla chiffon cake and blueberry Italian meringue buttercream. I love using chiffon cake for layer cakes because it is so incredibly soft and light and does not contain any butter, so when I refrigerate the cake, it does not get hard like most other, butter-heavy cakes.

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Vanilla Cotton Candy Easter Cupcakes

April 3, 2015 by Melina Thompson 1 Comment

Happy Easter! This Easter is going to be extra super specials for me since from now on, I will have a little one hunting Easter eggs and (hopefully) believing in the Easter bunny for a very long time. So I am celebrating this very special Easter with these Vanilla Cotton Candy Easter Cupcakes! Vanilla bean mini cupcakes topped with cotton candy and Cadbury candy coated chocolate eggs – yum! They are also super easy to make and the perfect decoration for any Easter table….

Peach Cupcakes with Vanilla Bourbon Buttercream

October 25, 2014 by Melina Thompson 4 Comments

If you liked my Peach Petit Fours from last week, you will love these Peach Cupcakes with Bourbon Vanilla Buttercream! Fluffy cupcakes with pieces of peach topped with buttercream that is packed with vanilla bean and good old bourbon.

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Rhubarb Summer Cheesecake with Vanilla Bean

July 25, 2014 by Melina Thompson 4 Comments

We all know how well rhubarb and vanilla go along, don’t we? So classic. I made this Vanilla Bean Polenta Cake with Rhubarb not too long ago and I just absolutely loved it. This time, I went for cheesecake. Instead of my usual graham cracker crust, I used vanilla wafers. Yep, vanilla wafers and butter topped with vanilla bean and rhubarb cheesecake! Let me tell you: DIVINE. The topping of this cake is so pretty I just can’t get over it, I lined very thin rhubarb slices and covered them with gelatine, which creates this beautiful watercolor effect and makes this cake very elegant looking. And, it is even gluten-free!

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Rhubarb and Strawberry Ice Cream with Vanilla Bean

June 12, 2014 by Melina Thompson 3 Comments

Rhubarb and strawberry – such a classic and my favorite flavors of summer. Rhubarb and strawberry ice cream, even better. Now if you throw in some vanilla bean, I’m definitely in heaven!

So I made this rhubarb strawberry ice cream with vanilla bean a little while ago and I love it. Loved it! I will definitely make it again very soon, maybe for the 4th of July? It would make the perfect dessert for any 4th of July BBQ and it is so easy to prepare! It is definitely an ice cream recipe you will keep. It is so simple and yet so unbelievable tasty. And no egg yolks, this recipe is egg free. The secret is whipped cream. It makes the ice cream so incredibly smooth, creamy and silky and so easy to scoop, you would not believe how simple it is. And you can switch the strawberry and rhubarb for pretty much anything. Any type of fruit, coconut, caramel or… maybe Nutella?

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Vanilla Bean Polenta Cakes with Rhubarb

April 21, 2014 by Melina Thompson 2 Comments

Those polenta cakes, amazing. They are so flavorful and moist with the taste of summer! When you think of polenta cake you usually think of lemon polenta cake, which is a classic. And sure, it does taste really good, the almond and lemon together with the cornmeal result in a nice mediterranean flavor. But its nothing compared to this! The sweetness of the cornmeal with the rich flavor of one whole vanilla bean, paired with the fresh and slightly sour rhubarb is just divine. And gluten-free!

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Pistachio Vanilla Butter Bundt Cake

April 17, 2014 by Melina Thompson 10 Comments

Happy Easter everyone! Spring is in the air and I am celebrating not just one of my favorite holidays but the beginning of my ambassadorship for Challenge Dairy! Whoop! So I went ahead and used Unsalted Challenge Butter to make this incredibly springlike and super easy Pistachio Vanilla Butter Bundt Cake. Perfect for any Easter brunch, spring picnic or tea party!

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Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Bars with Mango & Pineapple

March 26, 2014 by Melina Thompson 9 Comments

We all can’t wait for summer, right? So lets get your ice cream machine ready and bring the summer to your table! These ice cream bars, made with homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, are topped with tropical mango and pineapple puree – hello sunshine! The tropical fruitiness paired with the velvety rich vanilla bean ice cream is so divine. And let’s not forget the graham cracker crust, which adds delicious buttery crunch to every recipe. You can of course use store-bought, ice cream but I strongly recommend the homemade version – if you have an ice cream machine.
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Classic Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

March 5, 2014 by Melina Thompson 8 Comments

This is such a classic, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. That’s why this divine cold treat cannot be left out of my vanilla bean series. The recipe consists of nothing more than whole eggs and egg yolks, sugar, vanilla bean and cream and milk (I used half and half instead). The result: Velvety ice cream with the richest and purest vanilla flavor. So get your ice cream maker ready and lets start, spring is just around the corner!
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