These caramels not only highlight the flavor of vanilla, it also showcases the crackle of the vanilla bean seeds themselves: http://the-cooking-of-joy.blogspot.com/2012/12/vanilla-passion-caramels.html

Smitten Kitchen has a recipe with vanilla roasted pears, and believe me, it is amazinggg.

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/12/vanilla-roasted-pears/

crème anglaise! îles flottantes! or really, any vanilla custard.

I made this quadruple vanilla ice cream with a chocolate cherry swirl, because I'm quite vanilla-obsessed. It has a vanilla bean, vanilla paste, vanilla extract and vanilla powder in it. But you could just use a vanilla bean!!

http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/07/16/quadruple-vanilla-ice-cream-with-cherry-chocolate-swirl/

Oooooh, make panna cotta!

I don't have my recipe handy, but this seems pretty close. http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/15191/vanilla+bean+panna+cotta

i agree w/ missjulia- anything custardy..
-creme brulee
-vanilla rice pudding
-vanilla pudding

i will have to go for panna cotta or creme brulee

I made this recipe for the same reason. It uses vanilla beans in the dough as well as the glaze. I think I added an additional bean to the glaze to really show off the little specs!

Looks like my link didn't work. Well it's Pioneer Woman's Petite Vanilla Bean Scones.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/04/petite-vanilla-bean-scones/

This is an awesome recipe - there are so few ingredients, that some wonderful vanilla and delicious butter really shine through: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/vanilla-bean-sable-cookies.aspx

I third the vote for panna cotta. I think custards will work too, but there's always the risk that you'll get too much egg flavor vs. the vanilla. Panna cotta = cream + vanilla. GREAT way to spotlight the vanilla.

I would also suggest the Smitten Kitchen roasted pears. They are unbelievable. You end up with the pear vanilla syrup at the bottom that is heavenly. I also like vanilla paired with a fruit as opposed to butter or cream. The brightness of fruit cooked with vanilla bean is so nice.

check out the book pure vanilla by shauna sever! it has a ton of recipes that showcase vanilla.

I use vanilla beans in pastry cream, after you scrape the bean you can throw the pod into the cream and let it seep for even more vanilla flavor (or freeze the pod for next time).

Savory recipes! Vanilla pairs well with roasted chicken & pork, particularly if served alongside a little fruit.
Balsamic salad dressing with vanilla is amazing.

How about Swedish Cream? I'm not at home so I don't have my family recipe with me, but this one looks close from what I can recall: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/swedish-cream/.

We usually serve with mixed berries of whatever type is in season.

Shrimp goes surprisingly well with vanilla. I first had a dish of shrimp with vanilla and pasillas at Chicago's Sol de Mexico and have been haunted by it since.

After using them for a recipe, place the pods in a jar with vodka to make vanilla extract.