40 kissed recipes

Homemade sesame seed bagels: chewy, ring-shaped yeast rolls kissed with sesame seeds. Easier than you think with a classic boil-then-bake method that delivers true deli-style texture at home.

Saffron-kissed almond biscotti with bright lemon zest and a glossy egg-white glaze. Twice-baked until dry and crisp, these Italian cookies actually improve after a few days in a paper bag.

Rum pecan pie with a brandied butter crust, layered chopped pecans under a mosaic of pecan halves, and a dark rum and maple-kissed filling. Holiday dessert with a grown-up flavor twist.

Calzoni di ricotta are Italian fried half-moon turnovers stuffed with creamy ricotta, diced ham, and provolone, sealed in a lemon-kissed dough and fried golden. A crisp shell, molten cheese center, perfect antipasto or quick lunch.

Layers of cinnamon-kissed apples baked between swirls of orange-scented batter in a tube pan, then dusted with powdered sugar. This from-scratch apple cake is a showstopper that's surprisingly simple to pull off.

Velvety curried cream of chicken soup made from scratch with a whole chicken, rice, carrots, and sweet peas blended into a silky, spice-kissed broth finished with half-and-half. Pure comfort in a bowl.

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.

Silky angel hair pasta swirled in a bold black pepper cream sauce with white wine, clam juice, and Parmesan, crowned with buttery smoked salmon and a dill-kissed quick creme fraiche. Date night dinner in under an hour.