Date

We think unrefined sugars make the classiest desserts.

The coconut-date mixture in this recipe gets better the longer it sits.

The aromatic sweetness of the vanilla complements the sharp blue cheese and smoky-spicy sausage, and, since we doubt you’re curing your own chorizo, it’s the single handmade element on this tapas plate. This recipe is from Morcilla, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

A sweet-and-salty appetizer you can take straight from the oven to the table—that's our idea of easy party food.

Feel free to use any of the leafy greens listed here, but dandelion is ideal for its spicy, sturdy leaves.

Our food director's trick for getting her kids to down fruit smoothies: give 'em a fancy name.

Attention: This is not a smoothie, but you can have it for breakfast if you want.

Five different types of coconut go into our quintuple-threat breakfast (or snack) bars. Nutrient-dense and sweet enough to satisfy even the youngest members of your household.

This power-breakfast smoothie will be extra smooth if you soak the nuts and oats in water overnight; drain before proceeding.

Dates? We've got 'em by the dozen.

Chef Mullen cooks his eggplants directly in the coals of his wood-burning oven, a great technique to try the next time you’re grilling, or you can try this in a fireplace. But you’ll get the same effect (minus a little less smoky flavor) by using a broiler.

The dates act as both a sweetener and an emulsifier in this citrusy, mustardy vinaigrette.

This recipe for the triangular filled sweets eaten during the Jewish holiday of Purim yields tender, buttery cookies.

This date-orange filling is one of three filling varieties you can use in our hamantaschen recipe.

This recipe straddles the line between sweet and savory: It works equally well as a chunky accompaniment to steamy fish at dinnertime and as a stir-in for a morning porridge.

Yes, the dough is buttery, but replacing the brown sugar with puréed dates is a nutritional game-changer.

This mixture gets pretty sticky in the food processor. Don’t be alarmed if you have to scrape and pulse and scrape and pulse to keep the machine moving.

Dates get even more Middle Eastern, dunked in tahini.

“Inspired by the classic ants on a log—sweet, crunchy, and nutty.” —Dawn Perry, senior food editor

Honey-sweetened yogurt with dates and rhubarb is perfect for snack time, breakfast, or dessert.

“It's everything I want in a salad: sweet, crunchy, and bright.” –Claire Saffitz, assistant food editor

To make your own baharat spice blend, mix one teaspoon each of ground coriander and cumin with half a teaspoon each of cinnamon and paprika.

This cut of pork can be very lean, so take care not to overcook it or it will be dry. Ideally, it should still be a little pink in the center.

Sweet from dates, sour from lemon, bitter from celery, and salty from Parmesan, this humble salad manages to get all taste buds firing at once.