420 zest recipes

Swedish rye bread for the bread machine with rye flour, molasses, orange zest, and brown sugar. Dump the ingredients in, press start, and walk away.

Pinto bean and andouille sausage stew with smoked paprika, three peppers, and a bright lime finish. A smoky Cajun-Creole one-pot with rendered bacon fat building deep bottom-of-the-bowl flavor.

Orange spice bread machine recipe with whole wheat flour, cinnamon, orange juice, and marmalade. A warmly spiced, lightly sweet loaf with citrus flavor baked right into the crumb.

Spiced pumpkin layer cake built on yellow cake mix with pumpkin, walnuts, orange zest, and pumpkin pie spice, finished with cinnamon cream cheese frosting. A semi-homemade fall dessert with bakery-level results.

Ischler hearts: Austrian sandwich cookies with almond shortbread, apricot jam filling, and a glossy chocolate-rum glaze. Named after the spa town Bad Ischl, favorite of Emperor Franz Joseph.

Braune Zucker Platzchen, traditional German brown sugar cookies with cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, raisins, and nuts. Spiced drop cookies that store well in airtight tins.

Fresh ginger cheesecake with a ground pecan crust, featuring three forms of ginger: preserves, ground, and fresh grated. A rich, spicy cheesecake baked low and slow, garnished with candied ginger.

Buttery spritz cookie bars filled with a date, candied cherry, and nut filling flavored with orange zest. Pressed through a cookie press and cut into bars.

Golden biscotti packed with sliced and whole almonds, perfumed with orange zest and almond extract, then twice-baked into crunchy Italian cookies topped with cinnamon sugar. Keeps for months and begs for espresso.

Cajun-spiced lamb sirloin seared and roasted, served over tomato-pepper rice cooked in chicken broth. Cayenne, paprika, and garlic give this Southern-style lamb roast serious kick.

Stuffed French toast with crumbled tofu, brandy-soaked raisins, currants, and candied peel. Pan-fried golden in butter. A showstopping weekend brunch that freezes beautifully.

Orange-butterscotch cheesecake on an oat-and-brown-sugar crust, scented with orange zest and crowned with homemade butterscotch sauce. Bright citrus and deep caramel in one dramatic dessert.

Orange venison stew with mushrooms, shallots, white wine, tomatoes, and potatoes baked in a casserole. A refined wild game stew with citrus and earthy depth.

Split pea soup brightened with lemon zest and juice, loaded with carrots, potatoes, bacon, and Canadian bacon. A hearty, make-ahead soup with an unexpected citrus lift.

Golden fruitcake with dried apricots, raisins, candied cherries, orange peel, citron, and shaved almonds in a light cake flour batter. Baked low and slow for 4 gorgeous holiday loaves.

Melomakarona: traditional Greek Christmas cookies made with olive oil, orange zest, and semolina, soaked in honey syrup and topped with walnuts. Fragrant, syrup-drenched holiday staple.