5 Ingredients or Fewer

Four ingredients — and packed with flavor. **What to drink:**Try a crisp, dry rosé with berry-cherry notes, like El Coto de Rioja 2006 Rosado, Spain ($10).

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This recipe makes plenty of cookies, so bundle up extras (with green ribbon, of course) to send home with guests.

For a fun presentation, serve the granita in hollowed-out lime halves. To prepare the limes, snip the membranes with scissors, then scrape clean with a grapefruit spoon.

The basil oil would also be delicious drizzled over fish, vegetables, or chicken.

**What to drink:**A glass of bubbly would be perfect with the olives. Try Domaine Chandon Brut Classic (California, $20).

Why you'll make it: Because it's the classic side salad reconsidered, with lush peaches standing in for tomatoes.

Why you'll make it: Because it's an all-purpose refresher — drink it straight, top with sparkling water, or spike with vodka, gin, or tequila.

No fluff in a jar — this is the real deal.

The best desserts are those that manage to be sweetly satisfying while also containing an element of surprise, and this unique granita certainly fits the bill. We first had a version of it at Manhattan's Wallsé, and were stunned by the interplay among the bright, verdant mix of apple and celery with the richness of olive oil and the heat of grated horseradish. (Here, we've substituted wasabi for the horseradish.) It's a truly sophisticated way to end a meal.

If you're searching for a showstopping dessert (that is secretly easy to make) to serve company, look no further. Each gorgeous — and delicious — tricolored slice is a canvas of decorative swirls: vibrant orange, deep purple, and creamy white.

This chilly treat may well make your freezer more popular than the neighborhood ice cream truck. The lemony ice cream center is a bright contrast to the surrounding chewy coconut macaroons — and the sandwiches are easily held by eager little hands.