Coconut

To make this creamy shake, blitz together Medjool dates, yogurt, vanilla, and cinnamon with ice and water, then top it with toasted nuts and seeds.

Lime zest is a fresh addition to macaroons, and a Microplane is our zesting tool of choice. If you can't find unsweetened coconut chips, use two 7-ounce bags of sweetened shredded coconut and reduce the sugar to 1 tablespoon.

Using an egg white adds crunch without calories.

The problem with Franco-American food trends, like the current one with macarons—those pastel puffs of sweet air that seem to be everywhere—is that its good ol' American predecessor, the macaroon, gets forgotten. The truth is, though, we never stopped loving the coconut macaroon. In fact, we craved its dense, moist chew. Retrofit the macaroon as a bite-size sandwich filled with a pucker-worthy tart lime curd, and you've caught a new trend headed straight for the stars. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for Holiday Cookie Craze. Menu also includes Pistachio Cranberry Oatmeal Icebox Cookies and Salted Brown Butter Cookies .

The trick to making these cookies is to go low and slow—both on the stove-top and in the oven—to prevent the egg whites from scrambling.

Foolproof and moist, this cake is suitable for birthdays or other celebrations. Tip: It’s better to underbeat the frosting than overbeat it for a frosting that’s easier to spread.

The moist and toothsome coconut macaroon becomes a delicious (and infinitely more portable) bar cookie when built upon a dense shortbread base. The result is a surefire bake-sale winner, a kid-pleasing picnic finale, and an inviting edible gift for holidays or birthdays.

Ice-cold ginger ale is just one of the secrets to chef Kevin Rathbun’s Asian-inspired shrimp appetizer. The woody and fragrant kaffir lime leaf is another and can be found in the freezer section of Asian or Thai grocery stores. Rathbun’s restaurant in Atlanta also serves this dish with chicken or tofu in place of the shrimp.

These doughnuts are insanely moist. I promise you, they melt in your mouth. My friends can never get enough of them. This cake doughnut recipe is very simple to make. I store the doughnuts glazed in the freezer for sugar-craving moments. Once the doughnuts are fried, they can be glazed with Coconut Glaze or any other glaze you like, or dusted with superfine sugar.

Chef Kris Wessel of Florida Cookery in Miami Beach, Florida, shared this recipe as part of a Palm Tree Christmas menu he created exclusively for Epicurious. It showcases Florida oranges and grapefruits, which are at their peak during December.

Editor's note: This recipe is part of a special Thanksgiving menu created by chefs Allison Vines-Rushing and Slade Rushing of MiLa restaurant in New Orleans. While traditional beignets are on the must-have list of every New Orleans tourist, we personally think flavor-wise they can be a bit one note. This version, however, is sweet and savory with a spicy dipping sauce. The addition on coconut and shrimp honor the Carribean persuasions of New Orleans cuisine.

If it's melon season, you have to make this. In Burma (Myanmar), gin thoke, meaning "ginger mix," is a blend of crispy fried garlic, sesame seeds, and ginger, and is eaten as a sweet digestive snack after meals. Although not native to the region, melons are a refreshing and delicious complement to this dressing, together making a perfect summertime side dish. The ginger is key to this salad. Ideally, the gingerroot should be so young that the skin is almost transparent and the roots are tipped with pink.

Fork up a slice of this pie on days before and after a tough workout: Anti-inflammatories in blueberries can help ease muscle pain.

"It's not meant to be super sweet," Reusing says of this delicious, silken ice cream. "It's a fun way to taste corn." And using coconut milk in the base means there's no need to make a custard.

This recipe is so versatile you can use any type of chocolate, nut or dried fruit. Don’t expect leftovers!

These can be prepared a number of different ways. Pick one flavoring, then roll them in the coatings of your choice.

In honor of the Girl Scouts' 100th anniversary, Skinny Chef Jennifer Iserloh put a slim spin on their popular Samoa. Ours is lower in fat and calories—Scout's honor!

This coconut curry adds a tangy note to a South Indian menu. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.