24 Classic Italian Desserts That Are Perfect for Any Occasion
Sweet treats are just what you need with that after-dinner cappuccino.
Our Favorite Italian Desserts
When you want to please a crowd, one surefire plan is to opt for Italian food, and this is just as true when you hit the dessert course. We’re all for innovation, but when you’ve got a good thing, why reinvent the wheel? From Italian cookies to creamy gelato, these are dolci as we want them and as we have come to expect, and they will always conclude a meal with smiles. Wondering where to start? You can't go wrong with tiramisu. Yes, it does consume some time to assemble one, like this uber-traditional one from Alex Guarnaschelli, but there will be nothing outside of your skill set. Make it once, and you’ll be hooked, not from the gasps of delight of anyone you serve it to, but from those creamy, cool flavors that are truly the ultimate pick-me-up.
Homemade Cannoli
Alex says, "I love a cup of seriously strong coffee and a cannoli from an Italian bakery on Bleeker Street in Manhattan. When I am making these at home, I am holding them up to the standard of those memories. The dessert really comes together in two parts: make the shell, thin and crispy, and then make a filling with serious flavor." The recipe mentions filling right before serving, and this is key to keeping the shells crisp.
Chocolate Gelato Sandwiches
If you’ve traveled to Sicily, or perhaps especially if you haven’t, you’ll want to give in to the Sicilian genius of pairing a scoop of gelato with buttery brioche bread. There, it’s often served for breakfast (hey, it’s hot there) but it is just as much a treat for dessert.
Pizzelle
These delicate, crisp cookies prettify a cookie tray by about a thousandfold, but their intricate design comes from an iron, so making them is about as involved as making waffles. They come in many flavors, but the classic is anise. Serve them flat or roll them around a cone mold to make homemade ice cream cones.
Chocolate Salami
You’re practically transported to the old country just on sight of this log ostensibly fashioned to look like a stick of meat, and slicing into it only keeps the charade going. But honestly, the textural interestingness and deep, bittersweet chocolatiness should make it a classic stateside as well.
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