27 kissed recipes

Steak and shrimp wonton filling with marinated beef, lemon-kissed shrimp, water chestnuts, and cilantro. A surf-and-turf twist for fried or boiled dumplings.

Piped kiss-shaped meringues dried overnight in the oven, then dipped in melted semisweet chocolate. Light as a snowflake and stunning on a holiday cookie tray.

Silky chilled fennel soup, fennel simmered with shallots and garlic, pureed with lemon and dill, then blended with cool yogurt. A light, tangy, anise-kissed soup served cold as a refreshing starter.

Velvety pureed chestnut soup kissed with cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace. This warming vegetarian broth comes together in 35 minutes with a silky milk finish and bright lemon squeeze.

Sunshine cake is a tall, lemon-kissed cousin of angel food and sponge cake, leavened entirely by whipped egg whites and yolks with bright lemon zest and juice.

Chili-crusted flank steak fajitas grilled with marinated tri-color bell peppers, onions, and Roma tomatoes. A bright, lime-kissed Tex-Mex plate wrapped in warm flour tortillas.

Smoky, flame-kissed whiskey BBQ sauce with molasses, brown sugar, and a splash of hot sauce. Sauteed in scotch then flambeed for deep, complex flavor that only gets better with age.

Chirizu is a traditional Japanese spicy dipping sauce for sashimi, made with flame-kissed sake, grated daikon, soy sauce, lemon juice, and seven-pepper spice. Bright, bold, and ready in minutes.

Mandarin Cornish hens: small game hens roasted and basted in a bright orange juice glaze for tender, citrus-kissed meat and burnished skin. An elegant, simple main with one bird per person or to share.

A vegetarian black-eyed pea salad tossed in a bold dressing of sambuca, fresh basil, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar. The anise-kissed liqueur gives this bean salad an unexpected, aromatic twist you won't find anywhere else.

Swiss Miss mousse is a 3-ingredient chocolate mousse made by dissolving hot cocoa mix in boiling water and folding it into whipped topping. No cooking, no eggs, light and airy, and chilled to set in about 30 minutes.