420 zest recipes

Nick's peach cobbler tops three and a half pounds of fresh sliced peaches with a tender buttermilk biscuit crust. Cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest, and pieces of butter make a syrupy summer dessert.

Orange-spiced oatmeal raisin cookies with overnight orange-juice-soaked raisins, orange zest, and rolled oats. Plump, chewy, and citrus-bright.

Lemony apple muffins brighten classic apple muffins with fresh lemon zest and juice plus 2 cups of grated green apple. Optional toasted pecans add crunch to a tender, fruit-packed crumb.

A basic lentil salad that can make any dinner seem a bit different.

Baked beans with four types of beans and turkey sausage in a sweet-tangy sauce of brown sugar, molasses, tomato sauce, and apple cider vinegar. A lighter take on a cookout classic.

Italian double-baked chocolate biscotti with toasted almonds, cocoa, espresso powder, and a surprise hint of ginger and white pepper. Crisp, dark, and dunk-ready.

Hummingbird cake stacks three layers of banana-pineapple-pecan cake under tangy cream cheese frosting. Southern church-supper royalty, no mixer required, just stir and pour. The crumb stays moist for days thanks to fruit and oil.

From-scratch chocolate cake with melted unsweetened chocolate and buttermilk, topped with a boiled fudge frosting beaten over ice. Deep, dark, and intensely chocolatey.

Mom's baklava layers buttery phyllo with a blend of ground almonds and walnuts, soaked in cinnamon-lemon honey syrup. The cool-syrup-over-hot-pastry trick keeps every flaky layer crisp.

Mom's cocoa macaroons: chewy coconut mounds with a soft cocoa note, bound with whipped egg whites instead of condensed milk. A simple seven-ingredient drop cookie that makes four dozen.

Oatmeal cookies loaded with golden raisins and chocolate chips. Chewy, hearty, and ready in 30 minutes from start to finish.

Slow-simmered white bean soup with diced ham, potatoes, celery, garlic, and a hit of liquid smoke. Beans cooked separately for the most tender texture, then folded in to finish.

Cranberries and pears are a great pair. They make this deliciously fruity filling, and it tastes great with the buttery and flakey pastry. It's as delicious as an apple pie.

Whole wheat pecan banana bread sweetened only with maple syrup and ripe bananas, no refined sugar. A nutty, hearty breakfast loaf with a crumbly texture.

Spiced banana bread with ginger, allspice, fresh nutmeg, lemon zest, ground almonds, and four mashed ripe bananas. A warmly aromatic loaf that beats plain banana bread by a mile.

Fork-tender beef stew braised low and slow in beer with caramelized onions, tomatoes, and browned mushrooms. A hearty Dutch oven comfort meal that's worth every minute.