Top 10 Italian Desserts You Need to Try, Including Semifrodo and Amaretti cookies

As popular as it is as a savory destination, Italy is pretty great even in the dessert department. From the richly decadent Tiramisu to the crispy, cream-filled Cannoli, Italian sweets have found acceptance and patronage across the globe. Every region of Italy adds its quirk to the art of dessert-making: be it their desserts using fresh cream, fresh fruits, or flakes of pastry.

What is so special about Italian desserts is that sweetness and flavor always go hand in hand: you indulge, but never feel overwhelmed by the robustness of the dishes. Most Italian sweets are quite simple to make since they do not depend on complicated techniques; they only rely on select special ingredients. Here is a comprehensive Italian desserts list of simple treats that will certainly feature in your list of top 10 Italian desserts.

1. Tiramisu

One of the most famous Italian desserts, Tiramisu is a layered sweet dish that contrasts the bitterness of coffee with the sweet saltiness of mascarpone cheese cream filling.

Ingredients:

• 250 gm mascarpone cheese
• 3 large eggs (separated)
• 100 gm sugar
• 200 gm ladyfinger biscuits
• 300 ml brewed espresso (cooled)
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• Dark chocolate shavings (optional)

Method:

1. Whisk the egg yolks with sugar until pale and creamy.
2. Add the mascarpone to the egg mixture and mix until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then fold into the mascarpone mixture.
4. Dip the ladyfingers in the espresso and layer them in a dish.
5. Spread half the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers and repeat the layers.
6. Dust with cocoa powder and refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.
7. Garnish with chocolate shavings, if you want.

2. Cannoli

Ingredients:

• 12 cannoli shells
• 400 gm ricotta cheese
• 100 gm powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100 gm mini chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 50 gm pistachios (chopped)

Method:

1. Mix the ricotta, powdered sugar, vanilla, orange zest, and cinnamon until smooth.
2. Stir in mini chocolate chips.
3. Pipe the ricotta mixture into the cannoli shells.
4. Dip the ends into chopped pistachios and dust with powdered sugar.

3. Panna Cotta

Ingredients:

• 500 ml heavy cream
• 80 gm sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp gelatin
• 3 tbsp cold water

Method:

1. Heat the cream and sugar in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves, then remove it from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract.
2. Bloom gelatin in cold water, then stir the gelatin mix into the warm cream.
3. Pour into moulds and refrigerate for 4 hours.
4. Unmold and serve with berries.

4. Ricotta Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 500 gm ricotta cheese
• 250 gm cream cheese
• 150 gm sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

Method:

1. Preheat the oven and grease a springform pan.
2. Beat ricotta, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Add eggs one at a time, then stir in lemon zest and a little flour.
4. Bake for 1 hour and cool before serving.

5. Zeppole

Ingredients:

• 200 gm all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 100 gm sugar
• 250 gm ricotta cheese
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Method:

1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and ricotta in a bowl.
2. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
3. Heat oil in a pot and drop spoonfuls of the batter into hot oil.
4. Fry until golden brown and drain on paper towels.
5. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.

6. Sfogliatelle

Ingredients:

• 250 gm puff pastry
• 200 gm ricotta cheese
• 100 gm sugar
• 50 gm semolina
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• ½ tsp cinnamon

Method:

1. Cook semolina in boiling water, then mix with ricotta, sugar, lemon zest, and cinnamon.
2. Roll out the puff pastry and cut into circles.
3. Place a spoonful of filling in the center and fold the pastry over.
4. Bake until golden and serve warm.

7. Biscotti

Ingredients:

• 300 gm all-purpose flour
• 150 gm sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 150 gm almonds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp lemon zest

Method:

1. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and lemon zest in a bowl.
2. Add eggs and vanilla, and mix to form a dough.
3. Fold in almonds, shape into logs, and bake until firm.
4. Slice the logs into biscotti and bake again until golden.

8. Torta Caprese

Ingredients:

• 200 gm almond flour
• 150 gm dark chocolate (melted)
• 150 gm butter
• 200 gm sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder

Method:

1. Cream butter and sugar together, then add eggs one at a time.
2. Stir in melted chocolate and almond flour.
3. Add cocoa powder and baking powder, mixing until smooth.
4. Bake in a preheated oven until firm.
5. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

9. Semifreddo

Ingredients:

• 300 ml whipping cream
• 100 gm sugar
• 3 large eggs (separated)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Fresh berries for garnish

Method:

1. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with sugar until pale, then fold into the whipped cream.
3. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the cream mixture.
4. Pour into a loaf pan and freeze for 6 hours.
5. Serve with fresh berries.

10. Amaretti Cookies

Ingredients:

• 250 gm almond flour
• 150 gm powdered sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tsp almond extract
• Granulated sugar for rolling

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix almond flour, powdered sugar, and almond extract.
2. Add egg whites and stir until a dough forms.
3. Roll the dough into balls and coat with granulated sugar.
4. Bake until golden and slightly cracked.