10 benne cookie recipes

Ghost cookies made by dipping butter cookies in white almond bark with black jelly bean eyes. A no-bake Halloween treat kids can help make in under 30 minutes.

Egg shortbread cookies with a tender, crumbly texture from butter, sugar, and a whole egg. Blind-baked with pie weights for an even, golden result. Simple 5-ingredient recipe.

Cheesy chili rice skillet made with canned chili, tomatoes, instant rice, and melted process cheese in 15 minutes. A fast one-pan weeknight dinner with 5 ingredients.

Papaya lamb salad pairs stir-fried lamb chops with sweet ripe papaya, roma tomatoes, bean sprouts, and warm rice for a tropical-meets-Asian main-course salad. Served with lemon wedges and crusty bread.

Browned SPAM cubes with carrots, green beans, tomatoes, and celery in a thyme-seasoned sauce, topped with sliced potatoes broiled golden. This hearty one-skillet casserole is a complete meal in about an hour.

Fun see chicken, a Chinese stir-fry of slippery bean thread noodles tossed with soy-marinated chicken, napa cabbage, bamboo shoots, and snow peas. The glass noodles drink up the savory broth in every bite.

Bean connoisseurs will appreciate the characteristic taste and texture talents of pinto and kidney combined within this ancient Indian entrant. Versatility of this variety is limited only by your imagination: take them for a dip: enlist them for creative Mexican food construction: they even taste good straight!

Cold sesame peanut noodle salad with chicken, bean sprouts, scallions, and red pepper, tossed in a garlicky peanut butter-soy dressing. Asian-inspired pasta salad served chilled over crisp lettuce.

Coconut meringue cookies shaped into little bird nests and filled with candy eggs or jelly beans. A show-stopping Easter dessert that's crisp, light as air, and gluten-free. Makes 20 nests.

Very simple cookies made with an almond-meal base. Almonds are high in monounsaturated fats, which have been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. They are also very high in vitamin E (a powerful anti-oxidant), magnesium and potassium (important for maintaining healthy blood pressure).