168 blanco recipes

Traditional Panforte di Siena with toasted almonds, hazelnuts, candied orange peel, citron, cocoa, and honey syrup cooked to soft ball stage. A dense Italian Christmas confection.

Traditional Swiss Basel Leckerli: honey-spice cookie bars with cinnamon, cloves, candied peels, kirsch, and almonds under a crackly sugar glaze. Makes 50 to 60 bars that keep for weeks.

Pan-fried bass or trout amandine with butter-toasted slivered almonds, thyme, and a squeeze of lemon. A classic French-inspired fish dish done simply.

Creamy toasted almond soup with almond paste, sherry, orange zest, and rice, pureed silky smooth. An elegant New England inn-style appetizer soup.

Kos lemon pie, a Greek almond and honey tart in a lemon shortcrust pastry, soaked in lemon syrup and dusted with powdered sugar. An elegant Mediterranean dessert with bright citrus flavor.

Pasta in almond garlic sauce blends blanched almonds, raw garlic, and parmigiano-reggiano into a silky, dairy-light coat for cavatappi. Fresh basil, mint, and a squeeze of lemon keep it bright.

Chicken in silky almond sauce with yogurt, cardamom, coriander, and slivered almonds pureed into a rich Mughlai-style gravy. A fragrant Indian chicken korma that improves overnight.

Crisp cocoa-almond cookies filled with white chocolate ganache. Slice-and-bake dough makes shaping simple, and the thin, snappy wafers pair beautifully with the creamy filling.

Traditional Pakistani gajraila with grated carrots slow-simmered in milk with rice, cardamom, slivered almonds, pistachios, and raisins. A fragrant, creamy dessert served hot or cold.

Currant wheels are buttery pastry spirals filled with currants, sultanas, and chopped almonds, then topped with a simple sugar glaze while still hot. A European bakery classic in under an hour.

Steamed fish and vegetables in stove-top papillotte: halibut and sugar snap peas steamed in plastic over diced tomatoes and basil. A clean, light, restaurant-style dinner in 20 minutes.

Cherry and almond Christmas cake: maraschino cherries, apricots, ginger, and almonds macerated in amaretto and brandy, baked into a lighter apple-puree batter, then soaked in more amaretto. A boozy, fruit-packed festive cake that keeps for a month.

Almond and hazelnut pastry ring with a sweet marzipan-style nut filling, baked in a glossy golden spiral. Classic European dessert pastry for coffee or tea.

Kadin Gobegi, a traditional Turkish fried choux pastry soaked in lemon syrup and garnished with cream and pistachios. Crispy puffed dough rounds with a syrup-drenched center.

Punjabi besan kofta curry with crispy chickpea flour dumplings stuffed with dried plums, simmered in a rich tomato-onion gravy with garam masala and ghee. A show-stopping vegetarian main dish from North Indian kitchens.

Scandinavian almond ring coffee cake with ground almond filling, cardamom, and sweet sherry - rolled, shaped into a ring, and scissor-cut for a beautiful fanned crown.