Nut

Savor healthy sweets

There are many variations of haroseth, a mixture of fruit, nuts, and honey. This version is light and fresh, with a nice crunch. Haroseth is one of the six elements of the seder plate, and is left on the table for the rest of the meal. It is traditionally served with matzo.

The curries that are sold in the markets of southern Thailand inspired this heavily spiced dish. Chef Boetz says this delicious main course is a hybrid of an Indian and a Thai curry. The use of dried spices (coriander, cardamom, cumin) is common in Indian curries; coconut milk and fresh, aromatic ingredients (cilantro, lemongrass, galangal) are often used in Thai curries.

A little bit of olive oil makes this cake especially moist.

One of our favorite spring ingredients— rhubarb—shines in this dessert. The compote can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold.

A new take on pineapple upside-down cake. Here, a sticky brown-sugar caramel drips down the sides of a super-moist banana cake.

Here, a garlic-packed vinaigrette is infused with caramelized sucs—pan drippings—from the roast pork, creating an uncanny fusion of nutty, meaty flavors.

Eau-de-vie, or fruit brandy, an Alsatian specialty, is used to great effect in this dish, bringing out the subtle nuances in the pears. A custardy, brandied layer over the tender fruit, along with a nutty topping, gives this tart a complex yet homey air.

These candies are very chewy. The combination of dates and nuts is classically Middle Eastern, as in Turkish delight, but Chinese confectioners have adopted the combination as their own. You will often see versions of this easy-to-make candy around the Chinese New Year. A celebratory gift, they are traditionally wrapped in thin rice paper, but plastic wrap works just as well. CHEF'S TIP: Maltose gives this candy its distinctive subtle sweetness and chewy texture. It can be found in most Asian or natural food markets.

Honey and dates make this dessert perfectly sweet (but not too sweet) and sticky. Pecans add a nutty crunch.

Ultra-thin and wonderfully crisp, these cookies pack plenty of flavor into a slim package. We like to pair them with the prunes in wine or the orange tapioca pudding, but they're also wonderful on their own or with a hot cup of coffee.

A great way to use very ripe bananas, this easy-to-make cake incorporates everything you love about banana bread and adds a few more favorites—chocolate, walnuts, and cinnamon—for good measure. (It's also much more tender, with a light, moist crumb.)

Reduced-fat ingredients create a light, creamy cake.

We found ourselves craving this sun-dried tomato butter, not just spreading it on lamb chops but also tossing it with orzo and smearing it onto slices of toast.

Toasted almonds contrast beautifully with sweet, tender raisins and earthy chard.

Whole wheat flour gives these clever cookie S'mores a graham-cracker flavor. Leave the marshmallows out for a day or two on a plate to get stale—they'll hold their shape better during baking.