Mascarpone

Layers of tangy lemon curd, fresh berry compote, rich mascarpone whipped cream, and purchased gingersnaps come together beautifully in this dessert.

Cornmeal and fresh corn are used in the creamy polenta. A green onion Dijon mixture is spread under the skin of the chicken before it's grilled.

Forget S'mores. This summer, we're making these sweet grilled sandwiches.

I have always loved a good, cinnamon-scented carrot cake but somehow found the normal cream cheese frosting too rich and too sweet for the cake. Carrots, after all, are sweet enough in their own right. However, this mascarpone topping—sharp textured with lemon and lime zest—contrasts perfectly with the texture and crunch of the carrots and walnuts. Take the path of least—if not no—resistance.

Although legend has it that the red velvet cake originated in the early 1900s at New York City's Waldorf Astoria Hotel, it's been a Southern favorite for as long as I can remember. (A friend of mine recently reported seeing a version of it at a Starbucks in Mississippi.) Years ago, I made an armadillo-shaped red velvet cake for a wedding couple, complete with gray cream cheese icing for the animal's shell and scales. The idea may have come from the popular 1989 movie Steel Magnolias, which featured a red velvet armadillo groom's cake, a popular Southern tradition that continues to this day. The inspiration for my red velvet cupcakes came from my high-school boyfriend's grandmother. My mother was quite ill during those years, so I spent a lot of time with Bob Yarborough's family. His Birmingham, Alabama–born grandmother cooked and baked frequently, and I never forgot her red velvet cake. I wrote the instructions in my high-school recipe notebook and used it as a guide for developing these cupcakes. The mint extract and crushed mint candies add bit of holiday flair, but easily can be left out at other times of the year.

In a twist on classic tiramisu, the leftover almond-flavored macaroons assume a more prominent role: Layered with an airy mascarpone mousse, they take the place of the traditional ladyfingers.

This super-quick dessert can be served right away, or covered and chilled for up to four hours. (If you're making the parfaits ahead, let stand at room temperature one hour before serving.) Mascarpone (Italian cream cheese) is sold at many supermarkets and at Italian markets.

These cheesy grits are the perfect base for Veal Grillades or almost anything else.

One of the delights of making tiramisù is its versatility. This recipe makes a family-style dessert in a large dish, but you can easily compose single servings in dessert glasses, wine goblets, or even elegant teacups for a more impressive presentation, in the style of Signora Garatti's original "coppa imperiale." And while the conventional version of tiramisù calls for espresso soaked savoiardi, I've found that other flavors can be incorporated into the dessert with great success. Here, the brightness of fresh lemons and limoncello liqueur lace the cream and soaking syrup to make for a tiramisù that is refreshing and irresistible.

This luxurious treat is somewhere between a trifle, a tiramisù, and a summer pudding. The lime gives it a wonderful brightness.

This gorgeous tart features an easy no-bake filling and is topped with fresh strawberries in a rich port glaze.

You will not regret investing in a set of coeur à la crème dishes, as this is the most captivating of summer desserts, and can be varied all season according to what fruits are available.

A dacquoise is a French dessert made by layering nut-flavored meringues with whipped cream. In this version, cocoa nib meringues are layered with chocolate chiffon cake, mascarpone whipped cream, and blood orange marmalade, then covered in a rich chocolate glaze.

Oltranti gives this dish a velvety finish with Franklin's Teleme, a soft, tangy cheese made in Northern California. If you can't find it, use a combination of mascarpone and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

No, it's not a mistake. This cake really doesn't contain any eggs. The oil in the batter makes the cake moist; the rest of the ingredients provide enough structure to give the cake a great crumb.

For the perfect ending, a not-too-sweet gelato is drizzled with limoncello, a lemon liqueur from Italy. Round out dessert with purchased cookies.

Neal Fraser, Executive Chef and co-owner of Grace and BLD in Los Angeles, shared the recipe for this elegant pasta dish with Epicurious: Fresh pasta shells are tossed with lobster, peas, rich Mascarpone cheese, and fresh herbs. It's one of the best-selling dishes at Grace. It's best to use fresh or thawed, frozen cavatelli, which the sauce will really cling to, but other fresh pasta shells or, in a pinch, dried pasta could be substituted.

The cheese filling is spooned over red grapes—not a crust— and the fruit becomes its crowning glory.