Herbs & Spices

These pretty little cookies are similar to the bakery staples, but made with a flaky, homey, easier version of puff pastry. A liberal sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar in between the layers gives each cookie both sweetness and a hint of spice.

Love a cookie with crunch? These thin, crisp butter cookies are for you—each one is topped with crumbled almond praline, and its flavor plays on the time-tested combination of caramel and salt.

You could buy peppermint candy, but nothing comes close to the tingly, verdant flavor of real mint. These sweet lollipops make wonderful treats for both children and adults. The color is a very pale green, which can be enhanced with a drop or two of food coloring.

Want to shake up your cookie platter? Simply make a notch in two of these lightly spiced sugar cookies, then interlock them to create an edible sculpture that also makes a beautiful tree ornament.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Laurent Tourondel's book Bistro Laurent Tourondel. Tapenade, a paste of puréed black olives and other flavorful ingredients, is a typical seasoning for lamb in the Provence region of Southern France. You can buy it ready-made or make it yourself. This lamb is also good made with a paste of marinated sun-dried tomatoes instead of the tapenade.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Carole Bloom's book The Essential Baker. One of my favorite treats when I was growing up was malted milk balls. I couldn't seem to get enough of them. I vividly remember biting through the crunchy exterior of milk chocolate to find the malt ball inside. Yum! I still love the flavor of malt and believe it goes well with milk chocolate. This cheesecake is inspired by those malted milk balls I loved as a child. It's dense and creamy, with a crunchy cookie crust and a deep malt flavor. As with other cheesecakes, this one has to be made in advance of serving because it needs hours to cool and chill. But it also freezes beautifully, so you can make it well in advance of when you plan to serve it.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Jamie Oliver's book Cook with Jamie.

A glaze lacquers and flavors the bird.

Start with a large platter.

Skirt steak, which is full of flavor and holds marinades well, is the essential beef cut for fajitas.

Toss with the vinaigrette while rice is warm, so it absorbs the flavors.

The recipe below is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Ananda spa in India. While the recipe is not low in calories or fat, almost anyone can fit this dessert into a healthy diet by taking small servings of the panna cotta and sabayon and upping the portion of the antioxidant-rich berries. If you are following an Ayurvedic diet, the experts at Ananda recommend this for the vata dosha, and in moderation for the pitta dosha. Be sure to start this recipe one day ahead.

The recipe below is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Ananda spa in India. The low-fat, low-calorie, and vegan broth is loaded with disease-fighting herbs and spices, including ginger, which has anti-inflammatory properties and is a digestive aid, cinnamon, which has been shown to help balance blood sugar, and garlic, which has powerful antimicrobial properties. If you are following an Ayurvedic diet, the experts at Ananda recommend this for vata and kapha doshas.

You can slice and dice the ingredients for these no-cook pizzas in advance, but serve them right after assembly so the flatbreads don't get soggy.

Rice paper is available in the Asian-foods section of many supermarkets.

Be sure to drain the salad before adding to the sandwich.

This spice mix includes the same seasonings as those used to flavor India's clay-oven-baked tandoori chicken. SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Rub under the skin of a whole chicken before roasting; add to a pan sauce for seared scallops; sprinkle over cauliflower before sautéing; mix with yogurt and use as a marinade for leg of lamb.

Not your typical chicken pot pie. Cumin, cinnamon, and paprika add an aromatic spiciness, which is balanced by briny green olives and sweet golden raisins.