My daughter is a donut fiend. And even though I've been trying to avoid my oven while in the midst of summer... these vanilla wonders were absolutely worth it. 

Originally I wanted to use actual vanilla bean in these bad boys, but... they're a little pricey (nearly $10 for one bean!) Needless to say, I opted for vanilla bean paste instead ($9 for a large jar.) I've never used vanilla bean paste before and I generally buy the cheapest vanilla extract that I can find, but I remember reading somewhere about the magic  of vanilla bean paste.

I. Am. In. Love...