Amaretto

For soft and chewy cookies, bake these just a couple of minutes less than the recipe directs.

A flavorful filling in an elegant dessert.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

A thick layer of pure white chocolate truffle separates the amaretto-brushed layers, and a bit more truffle filling is used to flavor the whipped cream icing.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Candida Sportiello writes: "As owner and chef of Il Giardino restaurant, on the tiny island of Ventotene off the coast of Naples, I've been cooking professionally for twenty-five years — but I've been cooking for pleasure for a good fifty years. As is the Italian way, most of my favorite recipes were handed down from my mother and grandmother, so they date from the early 1900s." This rich dessert is called a semifreddo ("half frozen") in Italian.

Loosely translated, tiramisù means "pick me up," and it has been picked up on practically every menu in America. Since the early eighties, it has been one of the most famous Italian-American desserts, and like spaghetti and meatballs, it is far more prevalent here than in Italy. Purchased angel food cake makes this especially easy.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Connie Capani of Binghamton, New York, writes:"I am 100 percent Italian, so perhaps it's no surprise that I love food: To Italians, it's like a security blanket. I learned how to make spaghetti and other Abruzzi favorites from my mother. Looking at food magazines is what got me interested in venturing out into American culinary territory. I wanted to know how to make a "gravy" that didn't include tomatoes. These days, I work only part-time as a substitute teacher, but I still don't want to be in the kitchen the whole time when my husband and I entertain. " Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

An almond-scented pudding layered with blackberries and blackberry preserves makes a nice finale.

Chocolate ganache and hazelnut cream are encased in a tender nut cake.