3,013 zest recipes

Swiss Aargau carrot cake made with ground almonds, grated carrots, kirsch, and cornstarch instead of flour. Finished with apricot glaze, fondant icing, and marzipan carrots.

Bewitching cookies with orange zest, orange juice, buttermilk, and chocolate chips in a soft brown sugar drop cookie. A citrus-chocolate combination that's hard to resist.

Company apple pie is a three-pie batch showstopper with a sugar crust, lemony apple filling, caramel sauce stripes, cream cheese topping, and chopped walnuts. Built to feed a crowd.

Summer pandowdy layers juicy nectarines and blueberries under a cream biscuit crust, then dowdies the top by pressing it into the bubbling fruit. Old-fashioned New England dessert.

Practically fat-free York gingerbread bars made with pureed carrots, buttermilk, fresh ginger, and molasses. No butter, no oil. Moist crumb with bright orange zest and a cinnamon-sugar top.

Hint of ginger marinade combines soy sauce, dry sherry, fresh ginger, garlic, and lemon zest for poultry, pork, and fish. A fast Asian-leaning marinade ready in 5 minutes, no cooking required.

Low-fat lemon poppy seed bran pound cake with oat bran, non-fat lemon yogurt, and egg whites. The classic bright lemon-poppy flavor with a tender bundt crumb and a tangy lemon glaze.

Traditional German lebkuchen: honey-and-molasses spice cookies studded with citron and nuts, finished with a brushed sugar glaze. A heritage Christmas cookie that gets better as it ages.

Lemon roll-out cookies with sour cream, lemon zest and lemon extract, brushed with fresh lemon juice before baking. Tender citrus shortbread for tea trays and gift tins.

International meatballs in vodka: beef and pork meatballs seasoned with lemon zest and nutmeg, simmered in a sour cream sauce with vodka and vermouth.

Kulich is the tall, golden Russian Easter bread scented with saffron, rum-soaked raisins, almonds, and orange zest. Baked in coffee cans for the traditional cylindrical shape and topped with lemon glaze.

Beef stew with root vegetables braised slow in red wine until the meat falls apart, then finished with a bright lemon, rosemary, and garlic gremolata. A hearty winter one-pot.

Orange poppy seed layer cake soaked in fresh orange syrup and frosted with vanilla cream cheese frosting. A stunning two-layer celebration cake with citrus flavor in every bite.

Low-fat pineapple cheesecake pie made with cottage cheese instead of cream cheese, set with gelatin, and lightened with whipped egg whites. A no-bake, fluffy, tangy-sweet dessert with crushed pineapple.

Broiled crab melts on Melba toast rounds with lime, green onion, and hot mustard, topped with bubbling Swiss cheese. A two-bite appetizer for parties, ready in 20 minutes.

Homemade steamed dim sum dumplings with a seasoned ground meat filling in four flavor variations: chili garlic, brown bean, hoisin, and orange zest. A fun Chinese appetizer project that freezes well.