Last year for my mom's birthday, I made her a coconut cake made with fresh vanilla bean instead of extract and the difference was amazing. (dessertswithbenefits.com)
The only thing better than a sugar cookie is a sugar cookie with fresh vanilla beans. (thesugarcoatedcottage.com)
Because I wanted to make it extra special I used fresh vanilla, but you can use vanilla extract if you prefer. (stayaliveandcooking.com)