italian desserts

A hint of orange blossom adds a floral touch to the this polenta and almond-based orange cake.

Orange and polenta cake

unsalted butter,

demerara caster sugar

eggs

vanilla essence

(200 grams) almond meal

coarse polenta

oranges

tsp orange blossom water

gluten-free baking powder

Creme fraiche

(250 milliliters) orange juice

milliliters orange blossom water

cardamom pods, crushed

caster sugar

https://resources.newscdn.com.au/cs/video/vjs/stable/build/index.html?id=5348771529001-5977439743001&=domain=del

5348771529001-5977439743001

Life is busy, but that doesn't mean there isn't time for dessert. Silvia Colloca shares her hacks for impressive Italian bakes made at the touch of a (food processor) button.

Coffee and hazelnut amaretti

eggwhites,

caster sugar, plus extra to sprinkle

(300 grams) hazelnut meal

vanilla bean paste

instant coffee powder

dark chocolate coated coffee beans

https://resources.newscdn.com.au/cs/video/vjs/stable/build/index.html?id=5348771529001-5981852770001&=domain=del

5348771529001-5981852770001

This super-simple Italian dessert actually benefits from being made ahead, allowing all the lovely flavours to mingle

Best ever tiramisu

pot double cream

tub mascarpone

milliliters marsala

tbsp golden caster sugar

milliliters

pack sponge fingers

dark chocolate

cocoa powder

Put the double cream, mascarpone, marsala and golden caster sugar in a large <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/test-best-rolling-pins">bowl</a>.

<a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/top-five-whisks">Whisk</a> until the cream and mascarpone have completely combined and have the consistency of thickly whipped cream.

Pour the coffee into a shallow dish. Dip in a few of the sponge fingers at a time, turning for a few seconds until they are nicely soaked, but not soggy. Layer these in a dish until you’ve used half the sponge fingers, then spread over half of the creamy mixture.

Using the coarse side of the <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/top-graters">grater</a>, grate over most of the dark chocolate. Then repeat the layers (you should use up all the coffee), finishing with the creamy layer.

Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight. Will keep in the fridge for up to two days.

To serve, dust with the cocoa powder and grate over the remainder of the chocolate.

Ready in 10 minutes, this Italian affogato recipe is so simple, just douse vanilla ice-cream in espresso coffee. For a kick of cinnamon, try our chai kulfi affogato instead.

Classic Italian affogato

made-up coffee

vanilla ice cream

chocolate (optional)

Make the espresso coffee, which will be enough for 4 little after-dinner coffee cups.

Put the ice cream into 4 dessert glasses or cups. Drown (the literal meaning of affogato) each with coffee and serve while warm and melting. For an added treat, you could melt a few pieces of plain chocolate in the hot coffee before pouring over the ice cream.

These classic Sicilian treats are hard to resist. Creamy ricotta and zesty lemon curd cuts through the richness of the cannoli pastry beautifully.

Cannoli

cold lard, chopped

(60 milliliters) moscato or white wine

Sunflower oil, to deep-fry

white chocolate, melted

ricotta

(35 grams) pure icing sugar

orange

tsp vanilla extract

mixed peel, finely chopped

lemons

unsalted butter, chopped

https://resources.newscdn.com.au/cs/video/vjs/stable/build/index.html?id=5348771529001-5977447755001&=domain=del

5348771529001-5977447755001

If you love a classic tiramisu but have never made it at home, it’s not as hard as you may think! Learn how to make tiramisu and wow your loved ones with this elegant dessert.

Tiramisu

sugar

milk

heavy whipping cream

vanilla extract

mascarpone cheese, room temperature

¾ cup strong brewed coffee, room temperature

Kahlua

(7-ounce) package ladyfingers (see note)

Chocolate curls, optional

In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks...

In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until well blended. Whisk in milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Boil gently for 1 minute, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Mixture will appear slightly curdled - this is totally okay. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Once the egg yolk mixture has chilled, prepare...

Once the egg yolk mixture has chilled, prepare the whipped cream. 

In a medium bowl, beat cream with vanilla...

In a medium bowl, beat cream with vanilla until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Whisk or beat together the chilled egg yolk...

Whisk or beat together the chilled egg yolk mixture with the mascarpone until smooth. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine coffee and Kahlua....

In a medium bowl, combine coffee and Kahlua. Roll each ladyfinger in the coffee mixture once or twice. Take care not to oversaturate the ladyfingers.

Arrange half of soaked ladyfingers in the bottom...

Arrange half of soaked ladyfingers in the bottom of a 7x11 inch dish. Spread half of mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers, then half of whipped cream over that. Repeat layers and lightly dust with cocoa. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.

This ricotta cheesecake is zesty from the lemon and yet sweet from the strawberries.

Baked ricotta cheesecake with wild strawberries

(45 grams) sultanas

(60 milliliters) sweet marsala

tbs finely grated lemon zest and 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) lemon juice

(220 grams) caster sugar

wild strawberries

Orange blossom honey

unsalted butter, softened

(55 grams) caster sugar

(185 grams) plain flour

(35 grams) self-raising flour

https://resources.newscdn.com.au/cs/video/vjs/stable/build/index.html?id=5348771529001-5981857416001&=domain=del

5348771529001-5981857416001

The Italian pumpkin pie I've been dreaming of!

Spiced Pumpkin Tiramisu

coffee

lb. cream cheese

pumpkin puree

pumpkin spice

heavy cream

gelatin (Knox)

water

salt

ladyfingers (40)

Chocolate shavings & pumpkin spice,

In a bowl, whisk together cream cheese, sugar, pumpkin spice and pumpkin puree using a hand mixer, until combined. Set aside.

Using the hand mixer, whisk heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt until whipped cream starts to thicken. Stop and prepare gelatin.

Mix gelatin and cold water together, then microwave for 10 seconds. Mix until gelatin crystals dissolve and add to whipped cream. Continue whisking until soft peaks form and the whipped cream can hold it’s shape.

Dip ladyfingers in coffee mixture, fully submerged, and evenly line the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.

Spread half of the pumpkin cream cheese over lady fingers, using a small offset spatula. Top with half of the whipped cream. Repeat layering with lady fingers, pumpkin then whipped cream. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours or best overnight.

Garnish with pumpkin spice and chocolate shavings, cut and serve.

Directions:

Roasted Chestnuts (Castagne)

chestnuts

Rinse and dry the chestnuts well.

With a sharp knife (like a paring knife), carefully score the chestnuts in the center, making a line going across the round side, just piercing the inner skin and not the chestnut itself.

Scoring is an important step, because chestnuts expand as they roast.

Optional: Soak the scored chestnuts in a bowl of hot water for one minute to help with steaming.  Drain and dry them well.

Preparing the Chestnuts

Preheat the oven or airfryer 356F / 180C, unless you are using a pan on the stovetop.

Oven - cook chestnuts on a lined baking sheet. Shake baking sheet halfway through cooking. Depending on your oven, you may need to flip the chestnuts so they cook evenly. (Approximately 30 minutes).

Air Fryer - shake basket to flip chestnuts a couple of times during cooking. (Approximately 30 minutes).

Pan - Roast over a medium-low flame, tossing often. (Approximately 10-15 minutes).

Cooking the Chestnuts

What a great post, and so different.  Thanks for sharing. Will most definitely give this a shot, wish me luck.....;)

Pizzelle cookies are delicate and crisp Italian waffle cookies flavored with anise. Make this Italian cookie recipe for a holiday dessert!

Pizzelle Recipe (Classic Italian Waffle Cookies)

eggs (room temperature)

anise extract (optional (SEE NOTE

anise seed (ground (SEE NOTE

unsalted butter

all-purpose flour

Heat pizzelle waffle iron while preparing the batter.

Measure 1 tablespoon anise seed into a small saucepan. Heat over medium for about 1 minute, stirring regularly, until seeds are toasted. Transfer toasted anise seed to a pestle and grind with a mortar until finely ground.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar together until pale yellow and slightly thickened (about 3 minutes).

Beat in melted butter, vanilla extract, ground anise seed, and anise extract, if using.

Combine flour and a pinch of salt and add to the egg mixture. Toss in the ground anise seed and then mix everything together, just until combined. Batter will be very thick.

Brush the waffle iron with a bit of melted butter if it is not a non-stick iron.

Add 2 tablespoons of batter to each space on the pizzelle waffle iron. Use a piping bag with a large open tip (like tip 1A) to pipe a flatter, more widely distributed swirl of batter onto the iron.

Close the iron and cook until the pizzelles are golden brown. Remove from iron.

Use a 5” biscuit or cookie cutter to trim any excess batter from the embossed pizzelle shape.

Allow pizzelles to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

These pizzelle cookies are the bomb! I added a touch of lemon zest to the batter for a citrusy twist – they turned out amazing!

These pizzelle cookies from The Slow Roasted Italian website are a true delight! I followed Donna and Chad's recipe, and they turned out so delicious.

We soak the anise seeds in brandy overnight! Makes the flavor pop! Great recipe

Very good! Sending these to a friend for her bday. I couldn't find anise seed so I used the extract (next time I will use more extract unless I can find seeds)

These actually turned out great for me! I loved the taste, and my kids ate them up! Definitely a hit in my house!

Top 10 italian desserts recipes from across the web

The most viewed italian desserts recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Orange and polenta cake

Coffee and hazelnut amaretti

Best ever tiramisu

Classic Italian affogato

Cannoli

Tiramisu

Baked ricotta cheesecake with wild ...

Spiced Pumpkin Tiramisu

Roasted Chestnuts (Castagne)

Pizzelle Recipe (Classic Italian Wa...

Top 10 italian desserts recipes from across the web

The most viewed italian desserts recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Orange and polenta cake

Coffee and hazelnut amaretti

Best ever tiramisu

Classic Italian affogato

Cannoli

Tiramisu

Baked ricotta cheesecake with wild ...

Spiced Pumpkin Tiramisu

Roasted Chestnuts (Castagne)

Pizzelle Recipe (Classic Italian Wa...

The most viewed italian desserts recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine