Scrumptious Italian Desserts

This variation of cassata, a traditional Italian dessert often served at weddings, offers a heavenly cherry brandy-spiked ricotta and cream cheese filling flecked with almonds and dried cherries.

Creamy ricotta cheese flavored with orange peel and orange liqueur is the perfect flavor contrast to a tart but sweet berry mixture.

Mascarpone cheese -- Italy's super decadent version of cream cheese -- adds richness to this layer cake's luscious chocolate frosting.

Fluffy coffee-flavor cream is alternated with layers of ultrarich cake to create the ultimate mocha dessert.

Granitas are intensely fruit-flavored ices that are popular in Southern Italy. This one is zippy, light, and refreshing.

Macaroons flavored with sweet almonds are known in Italy as amaretti cookies. They make a delightful topper for this creamy fruit dessert.

Polenta, Italy's famous cornmeal mush, makes a divine topping for this sweet yet tart cherry cobbler.

This rich and chocolaty dessert looks complicated -- but it's so simple to make. Prep takes just 15 minutes.

A sprinkling of powdered sugar adds extra sweetness to delicate pizzelles, the traditional Italian waffle cookies.

Tiny seeds from a vanilla bean give this dessert pudding its mouthwatering flavor. Rich mascarpone cheese topping adds decadence.

An ultra-rich chocolate-espresso sauce adds pizazz to this pudding-like dessert.

Sweet honey, spicy ginger, rich cream, and crisp almonds come together to make these delightful cookies.

An espresso drizzle adds a hint of coffee flavor to these crisp cookies. Biscotti means "twice baked" in Italian.

Like many semifreddos (which means "half cold" in Italian and refers to chilled desserts), this luscious version is composed of contrasting flavors and textures served in a loaflike shape.

Gelato, Italy's smooth and rich frozen dessert, gets its smoothness from custard. This delectable variation is made with three kinds of chocolate -- dark, bittersweet, and white.

Genoise (zhen-WAHZ) is a rich, light-textured cake (similar to sponge cake) that originated in Genoa, Italy. Here, the cake is topped with a mouthwatering sauce that is spiked with Vin Santo, a rich, sweet Italian white wine.

Zabaglione (zah-bahl-YO-nay) -- a frothy Italian custard made with egg yolks, sugar, and liqueur -- tops springy chocolate sponge cake.

With three times the chocolate, our recipe makes this traditional Italian dessert better than ever. Chocolate-covered espresso beans make a tasty topper.

With sweetened cheese, bittersweet chocolate, zippy orange peel, and rich pistachio nuts, this version of a quintessential Sicilian treat marries a melange of delicious flavors.

These melt-in-your-mouth raspberry and almond meringues are a lovely way to end a hearty meal on a sweet note.

This filled dessert uses purchased cake mix, making it simple to prepare. Raspberry jam provides an enjoyable flavor contrast to the chocolate and hazelnut spread.

In the Piedmont region of Italy, the duo of chocolate and hazelnuts flavors all kinds of desserts. Serve these sweet little cookie sandwiches with after-dinner espresso.