Coconut

This smoothie has all the familiar flavors of carrot cake: sweet coconut, buttery walnuts, fragrant cinnamon, and warm vanilla.

As much as I like a pavlova, this dessert takes that classic combination and blows it out of the water. Piña Colada Pastry Cream lightened with softly whipped cream, layered with caramelized fresh pineapple, crunchy-chewy French meringue, and crisp strips of toasted coconut is textural nirvana. Searing fresh pineapple in a skillet adds caramel flavor to balance very sweet fruit. This is a showstopper.

To give this velvety vegan soup a tiny bit of crunch and extra visual appeal, chia seeds are stirred in after the soup is pureed.

Shredded, sweetened coconut acts as both flavoring agent and lone sweetener in this baked custard pie.

The ultimate do-ahead, portable power breakfast; it's also great with fresh fruit.

Find long beans at Asian or specialty grocers.

Crunchy, toasty coconut chips transform a simple loaf cake.

You'll never serve ice cream without candied peanuts again.

Before morning runs, I'm always looking around the kitchen for a healthy nibble that will hold me over until I can eat a proper breakfast. These 86-calorie bites are just the ticket. And since they are dairy- and nut-free (and wheat-free if you use puffed rice), they pass the school test!

If you don't know what a Sno-Ball is, you should probably move on to the next chapter. Those round, fuzzy pink flavor wads are a staple of childhood (and a guilty pleasure of adulthood). Food coloring is optional here, but without it, this recipe looks much too grown-up.

Coconut oil adds a rich sweetness to the batter; shredded coconut delivers crunch.

Curry powder is a natural with mangoes, since they are both important foods in India. Grilling the mangoes softens them slightly and intensifies their sweetness. The curry powder helps to bring out their heady perfume. This is the perfect dessert for those times when you already have the outdoor grill fired up for cooking your main course.

These protein "truffles" are so ridiculously easy that I feel somewhat silly adding them to this collection. Then again, my super-simple, silly recipes are often my most popular. They are certainly favorites in my repertoire, in large part because of their fast factor, but also because of their portability and candy-like appeal. Plus, they are endlessly customizable by varying the spices, extracts, and other add-ins, or by giving them a chic coating of chia seeds, cocoa powder, or chopped nuts. Who says pretty and power can’t go together?

Customize this recipe by subbing in other nuts and seeds.

Shredded coconut, which is cut more finely than the thick flaked type called for here, will work in a pinch.

Can candy be too sweet? Not for us! The real delight of this sweet, sweet pairing of fluffy nougat and shredded coconut is what professional taste-testers call mouthfeel. The airy nougat softens, the coconut and almonds crunch, and the hefty milk chocolate shell melts and coats your palate with feel-good chocolate.

Osteen likes to frost these cakes while they're still warm. They'll absorb some of the frosting, which takes on the consistency of a glaze.