Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites (24 page)

It’s no secret that I have a huge sweet tooth—you might even say I’m a dessert addict. Although Italian cuisine isn’t renowned for its desserts the way, say, French chefs are, it’s still my favorite course of any meal, and seemingly becoming the favorite of my audience, too. Italian desserts are generally unpretentious, simple to make, and equally easy to fall in love with. What’s not to adore about little doughnuts dipped in chocolate sauce? The mixture of chocolate and orange makes them heavenly, and I don’t know many people who can resist a warm, sweet doughnut. Creamy Strawberry and Mascarpone Granita is a light but creamy icy dessert and almost all the prep time is in the freezing. From a lemony semifreddo topped with cookie crumbs to a showstopper of a cake with a shortcut secret, these sweet surprises will end any meal on a high note and send your guests home with smiles on their faces.

I love the flavor of granitas but the texture is usually quite granular and icy; the mascarpone smoothes this version out so it is more like a sherbet. Don’t scrape it until just before you serve it, as it will melt and look less appetizing.

4 to 6 servings

Place ½ cup of the sugar and the mint in a small pan with 1 cup of water and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to help dissolve the sugar. Let simmer over low heat for 5 minutes to steep the mint. Then strain the mint from the simple syrup. Discard the mint.

In a food processor, combine the 2 cups of coarsely chopped strawberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Run the machine to purée the strawberries. Add the mascarpone, lemon juice, and salt and process until the mascarpone is fully incorporated. Add the mint syrup and combine. Pour the strawberry mixture into an 8 × 8-inch glass dish, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer. The mixture will take about 4 hours to freeze.

To serve,
use a fork to scrape the granita. Spoon the mixture into chilled bowls. Top with the finely diced strawberries. Serve immediately.

This is the chocolate lover’s answer to panna cotta. It’s quite similar to a mousse but the gelatin makes it a bit firmer.

4 to 6 servings

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish.

In a small saucepan, combine 1½ cups of the milk, the granulated sugar, and the vanilla. Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat.

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the remaining ½ cup of cold milk and let it dissolve for 2 minutes. Combine the cold milk and gelatin with the hot milk and sugar. Stir to dissolve the gelatin, about 5 minutes. (Heat the milk gently if the gelatin is not dissolving easily.) When the gelatin is dissolved, combine the eggs with the warm milk mixture, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling the eggs. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large measuring cup or small pitcher.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate over simmering water in a double boiler. When the chocolate is melted, gradually combine the milk and egg mixture with the melted chocolate, stirring between each addition to create a smooth chocolate mixture.

Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the top with the almonds. Place the casserole dish in a larger baking pan or roasting pan and add hot water to the larger pan until the water comes halfway up the sides of the casserole dish. Place both pans in the oven and bake the panna cotta until the sides are firm and the center just jiggles slightly, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes.

Just before serving, whip the cream to soft peaks in a medium bowl using a whisk or electric hand mixer. Add the confectioners’ sugar and almond liqueur and whip to combine. Spoon the panna cotta into individual serving bowls and dollop the top with the almond whipped cream.

If you have always wanted to try making ice cream at home but haven’t wanted to invest in an ice-cream maker, give this recipe a try. Semifreddo is a very rich, creamy dessert, but the lemon juice and limoncello make this one seem very light, despite all the egg yolks and cream.

8 servings

Spray a 9 × 5 × 3-inch metal loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the pan with plastic wrap, allowing the excess to hang over the ends and sides.

Whisk ½ cup of the sugar, the egg yolks, lemon juice, lime juice, limoncello, and salt in a large metal bowl to blend. Stir in the zests. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water). Whisk the egg mixture until it is thick and creamy, and a thermometer inserted into the mixture registers 160°F, about 5 minutes. Set the bowl of custard into another bowl of ice water to cool completely.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream and remaining ¼ cup sugar in another large bowl until firm peaks form. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the custard. Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Fold the overhanging plastic wrap over the custard and freeze until frozen, at least 8 hours or up to 3 days.

Unfold the plastic wrap. Invert the semifreddo onto a platter and peel off the plastic wrap. Cut the semifreddo into 1-inch-thick slices, sprinkle with the cookie crumbs, and serve.