Summer Archives | The Vanilla Bean Blog

Moist Cherry Almond Muffins

Sarah Kieffer — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:20:07 +0000

Back in college when I was working at the Blue Heron Coffeehouse, Cherry Almond was a popular muffin flavor that showed up in the bake case at least once a week. Since my reader favorite Blueberry Muffin recipe already had almond flour in it, I decided that it would be very adaptable for this nostalgic flavor. It works beautifully in this base recipe, and is a perfect way to start a morning. These muffins are light with a tender crumb, and almond flour and almond extract give them a well-rounded flavor. Some muffin tips from my testing: *I found adding almond flour keeps the crumb tender and light, and also adds rich flavor. I don’t recommend swapping it with all-purpose flour. *Since muffin pans are all unique, I like to bake a test muffin when I first try a recipe to see how it bakes up in my pan. This way I know how to adjust how much batter to put in the pan if the muffin spills over while baking. *Filling the muffin cups so that every other cup is empty can help the muffins bake higher. Leaving that extra space in between muffins gives them more room to rise, […]

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Creamy Cherry Streusel Cakes

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 15:37:44 +0000

There are two sour cherries trees in our front yard, and the last two weeks it all came to fruition: the cherries gleaming ruby red, then picked, and pitted, and frozen. I was able to get one large batch picked before the blue jays decided they would spend their days in our trees, feasting on cherries and squawking at us if we came near. Then, two baby deer found the trees, and they were so beautiful nibbling on the bright red fruit in the setting sun, that I decided to let nature enjoy its bounty. But I did have enough sour cherries to make Turnovers. And Cherry Rhubarb Crisp. And, these sweet little jammy cakes. I’m not going to lie; cream cheese swirl is what I’ll pick in a bakery case lineup any day. There is a layer of cake, then cream cheese, tart jam, and streusel topping in every perfect bite. I like to eat them just barely warm, but they are great the next day too. One of my favorite things about this recipe is the streusel topping is made from the dry cake base, which cuts down on extra bowls and time preparing them. Yes, I’ve made quite a […]

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Flaky Cherries & Cream Turnovers

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 20 Jul 2025 15:55:43 +0000

I forgot they were in my freezer. Door County cherries, tucked underneath bags and bags of raspberries the kids and I had gathered every summer afternoon from our backyard bushes. I had to dig through those berries and move them around and curse slightly to get to the bottom of that freezer drawer. But there they were, still glittering and ruby red and perfect. It seemed the cherries were calling me. They were a memory, a lovely one, and it had been a week filled with bad news from the outside; articles and TV anchors whispering deadly affairs again and again: 92 people who died of thirst and Man kills family and then himself and Funeral workers steals gold teeth from bodies and 5 stabbed to death by relative and You are not safe. You are not safe. You are not safe. I tend to turn to puff pastry when I’m anxious. The rolling, the turns, the soft dough on my hands helps me focus for a moment. And this batch would be filled with those memorable cherries. They were picked this summer, one short weekend when [A] and I got to steal away by ourselves. We made an impromptu […]

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Flaky Raspberry Scones

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 15:04:46 +0000

Over the years I have made hundreds upon hundreds of scones, and have slowly evolved my working recipe. I have settled on a buttery scone, with crème fraiche and an extra egg yolk for rich flavor and a tender base, and gently folded layers to keep the scones flaky. However, as much as I love adding fresh fruit to my dough, especially in these summer months, the extra juice can sometimes cause problems when baking.

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Cherry Rhubarb Crisp with White Wine

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 15:27:37 +0000

Rhubarb is an important plant to all Minnesotans. Not only can it be found in nearly every neighbor’s garden and growing alongside walking paths and trails in local parks, but for those of us living in the North, it is also a symbol of winter’s end. As its green leaves and pink stalks start to peek out of the ground, there is a collective sign of relief among us all. Winter has come and gone. Spring is here at last. I grew up in a neighborhood where neighbors and friends often sent over a rhubarb crisp, and wanted to recreate the nostalgia while also giving this dessert a little update. Sweet cherries were a delicious addition and also added beautiful color (some rhubarb is green and bakes up a disappointing brown), and sweet white wine added flavor while also helping me use up the end of that box of wine. About this recipe Using Wine in a Fruit Crisp I often bake with alcohol; I find the addition of wine or liqueurs adds good flavor and moisture to what I am making. I added sweet white wine here on a whim and loved how the cherries, rhubarb, and wine all […]

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Homemade Blueberry Muffins

Sarah Kieffer — Sat, 13 Jan 2024 17:03:24 +0000

What Makes This Blueberry Muffin Recipe Different? My blueberry muffin experience started with a blue boxed mix, complete with tiny dried blueberries. My mom would often make them to accompany dinner, and we would devour them slathered in too much butter. I started baking them from scratch while working at the Blue Heron Coffeehouse; I always loved that their recipe added nutmeg and I took that little trick with me when I left. This recipe is revamped from my first book and now included in my latest cookbook, 100 Morning Treats; I found adding almond flour keeps the crumb tender and light, and also adds rich flavor. Bumping up the baking powder and adding another egg helped those muffins dance beautifully over the rim. You’ll find nutmeg incorporated in the perfectly sugary top (please don’t skip this!); the crunch being a perfect contrast to the moist muffin. Why Do You Fill Every Other Muffin Cup? Filling the muffin cups so that every other cup is empty can help the muffins bake higher. Leaving that extra space in between muffins gives them more room to rise, and their tops won’t bake into each other in the pan. This does mean you […]

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Ginger Orange Carrot Quick Bread

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 11 May 2023 19:09:11 +0000

What I love about this recipe: This Ginger Orange Carrot Bread is a new recipe from 100 Morning Treats, my fourth cookbook that was just released. The flavors of ginger and orange are faint, but their subtleness makes this bread shine, pairing with naturally sweet fresh carrots. Orange zest and triple sec give it a lovely brightness, too. This loaf stays moist for days, and I actually prefer it on the second and third days; the flavor develops and it becomes more tender. Baking With Nordic Ware Pans Over the last decade of baking, I’ve come to rely on Nordic Ware for almost all my baking pans. Their pans are not only beautiful, but durable and well-made. For my 100 Cookies cookbook, I relied on their Naturals® baking sheets for many of my recipes, and my last two books have incorporated more of their other pans: The Naturals® muffin pans, Bundt pans, and Popover pans were all used and loved. For my Ginger Orange Carrot Bread, I used the ProCast Classic Loaf Pan, which has a 6 cup (1 lb loaf) capacity. This pan is made from heavy cast aluminum, which ensures that both quick and yeasted breads bake evenly. This pan also has […]

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Raspberry Rhubarb Streusel Pie Bars

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 11:43:13 +0000

I’ve always loved using rhubarb as an introduction to Spring baking, and these bars hit all the right notes. You get this amazing contrast between the sweet, jammy raspberries and the tangy bite of rhubarb, which keeps every bite from being too sweet. The easy, press-in crust has an oat base that holds everything together, a sweet-tart, jammy filling, topped with a golden, crumbly streusel that adds just the perfect amount of crunch. When this is in the oven, the whole kitchen smells incredible. These bars are delicious on their own, but I’ll never turn down a dollop of fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. More Rhubarb Recipes:

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S’mores Gift Cakes

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 22:09:24 +0000

This is a recipe I came up with for Valrhona chocolate a few weeks ago; they featured it in their newsletter. I was given permission to share it on my site as well, and I’m so glad because I had so much fun making these cakes, and they are quite delicious. I used the chocolate gift cake base from my cookbook Baking From the Holidays, swapped out the chocolate buttercream for marshmallow creme (toasted, of course) and then topped everything off with chocolate ganache and toasted graham cracker crumbs sprinkled on top. My family LOVED this cake, and we had to quickly give the extra away to our neighbors so we didn’t devour them all ourselves. Packing Cakes for Gifting: This recipe makes three 6 inch [15 cm] cakes; two for gifting and one for keeping yourself. When passing out these smaller cakes to friends and neighbors, I like to place them in a cake box (I use this gold one here). I find the box keeps them well protected. Because these cakes contain both marshmallow fluff and chocolate ganache, they are best eaten the same day they are assembled (the chocolate cake layers can be made ahead of time, […]

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15 Best No-Churn Ice Cream Recipes

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 10 Jun 2021 22:57:48 +0000

No ice cream cream maker? No problem. You don’t even need one to make some of the most amazing ice cream you’ve tasted! No-churn ice cream is made using just 5 easy to find ingredients and 10 minutes of prep. The ice cream is rich and creamy, and while the texture is slightly different than regular ice cream, it’s a great way to make a simple frozen dessert. In this post you’ll find my top 15 no-churn ice cream recipes, everything from classic vanilla to strawberry rhubarb, and a bonus recipe for Raspberry Chip! How to Make No-Churn Ice Cream I dedicated a whole chapter in my first cookbook to no-churn ice cream recipes because I love the ease and versatility of this method so much. No-churn ice cream is simply made by folding whipped cream into condensed milk, along with your favorite flavors or mix-in’s, then spreading in a pan and freezing. Besides heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk, you’ll add a bit of salt to cut the sweetness. And I like to add a small amount of cream cheese for it’s tang, to balance the flavors, and keep the ice cream smooth when it’s frozen. Using No-Churn Ice […]

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