The Best Holiday Baking Books

Small enough to tuck into a stocking, and especially handy for a first-time cookie-swap host.

With VanillaGoods: Cut-out and icebox cookies are built on a simple butter dough, so a good vanilla extract or bean paste is the easiest way to make them taste special. Vanilla Cookies & Bars ›

A thoughtful pick for the relative who runs the family cookie swap.

With VanillaGoods: Butter and sugar cookies have so few ingredients that the vanilla you choose becomes a big part of the flavor. Vanilla Cookies & Bars ›

A cheerful hostess gift to bring to a December cookie exchange.

With VanillaGoods: Sugar cookies, meringues and macaroons are where vanilla is the lead flavor, so a pure extract or vanilla powder (which won't loosen meringue) is worth having on hand. Holiday & Fall Vanilla Baking ›

An easy pick for the relative who runs the family cookie exchange.

With VanillaGoods: Spritz and sugar cookies are built around vanilla, so a classic Madagascar extract or a scrape of bean paste in the dough is what makes these trays taste homemade. Holiday & Fall Vanilla Baking ›

Ideal for the friend who mails cookie boxes to everyone each December.

With VanillaGoods: A well-balanced cookie box needs a pure vanilla cookie for contrast; vanilla bean shortbread with a Tahitian pod is a box-ready classic. Holiday & Fall Vanilla Baking ›

A sweet stocking stuffer for a young baker or a cookie-swap host.

With VanillaGoods: Decorated cookies use plain doughs and icings, so a clear-tasting vanilla powder or extract is what gives them flavor beyond sugar. Shop Vanilla Extracts ›

A natural gift for Midwestern bakers or anyone who enters cookie contests.

With VanillaGoods: Contest-winning cookies tend to get their depth from good vanilla; a Mexican extract adds a smooth, gently spicy note to ginger and spice cookies. Holiday & Fall Vanilla Baking ›

A stocking stuffer that doubles as a December afternoon activity.

With VanillaGoods: Her decorated cookies and buttercream characters start from simple vanilla bases, so good extract makes the cute treats taste as good as they look. Vanilla Cookies & Bars ›

A substantial hardcover for the baker who wants a project for every holiday on the calendar.

With VanillaGoods: Celebration breads and cakes from many traditions lean on vanilla; keep whole Madagascar beans for custards and enriched doughs and Tahitian for fruit-forward holiday bakes. Shop Vanilla Beans ›

A keepsake hardcover for anyone who grew up with, or dreams of, a German Christmas market.

With VanillaGoods: German holiday baking traditionally uses vanilla sugar; bury a split Madagascar bean in a jar of sugar now and it will be ready for Vanillekipferl and Stollen. Holiday & Fall Vanilla Baking ›

Pair it with a bag of marzipan for a Bake Off fan.

With VanillaGoods: Stollen and Vanillekipferl are classic vanilla bakes; Madagascar beans or homemade vanilla sugar give them their traditional flavor. Holiday & Fall Vanilla Baking ›

A cozy gift to pair with a tin of pepparkakor.

With VanillaGoods: Scandinavian Christmas bakes pair cardamom and saffron with vanilla sugar; Tahitian beans' floral note flatters saffron buns and rice pudding. Holiday & Fall Vanilla Baking ›

A handsome gift for anyone with Belgian or Dutch roots or a love of baking from travels.

With VanillaGoods: Belgian waffles and butter biscuits are a classic home for vanilla, so a bean scraped into the batter or dough is a natural fit. Shop Vanilla Beans ›

A fun gift for the friend who makes gingerbread the moment it gets cold.

With VanillaGoods: Gingerbread's molasses and spice need a backbone of vanilla; Uganda's rich, chocolatey beans stand up well to dark, heavily spiced doughs. Holiday & Fall Vanilla Baking ›

A thoughtful gift for a friend hosting their first holiday meal.

With VanillaGoods: His pie and dessert advice pairs well with softly whipped cream, and a little vanilla in the cream is the finishing touch that tables remember. Shop Vanilla Extracts ›

A generous gift for the family's designated pie maker.

With VanillaGoods: Custard and cream pies get their backbone from vanilla, and a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream turns any fruit pie into pie a la mode. Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream ›

A good September gift for whoever brings dessert to Thanksgiving.

With VanillaGoods: Pumpkin, apple and pecan bakes taste rounder with plenty of vanilla; Mexican extract's smooth, spicy character suits pumpkin pie and apple cake. Holiday & Fall Vanilla Baking ›

A natural gift to bring along on an apple-picking trip.

With VanillaGoods: Apples and vanilla are an easy pair, whether in a vanilla-bean apple pie filling or a pot of applesauce simmered with a split pod. Holiday & Fall Vanilla Baking ›

A charming gift for the friend who brings pie to every gathering.

With VanillaGoods: Custard-style pies such as salty honey are a good place for vanilla bean paste, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream finishes any of the fruit pies. Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream ›

An easy housewarming gift for someone hosting the family holidays for the first time.

With VanillaGoods: Her Christmas cookies and Thanksgiving pies lean on vanilla in the doughs, fillings and whipped cream, so one good bottle of extract upgrades the whole menu. Holiday & Fall Vanilla Baking ›