24 Classic Italian Desserts That Are Perfect for Any Occasion

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.

If you have a memory of walking into an Italian bakery in America and breathing in the aromas of almond, sugar and orange peel, you probably also have an image of a mountain of these sitting in the bakery case. They are elegant but also home-run kid pleasers.

Italian cheesecake is at once more delicate and more dense than an American-style, and it can make for a very satisfying, not-too-sweet dessert.

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.