Ice Cream

The ice cream custard needs to infuse with the flavor of the cacao nibs overnight, so start preparing it two days ahead.

It might seem odd to describe something cold—ice cream—as sultry, but there is no denying genuine come-hither appeal. Based on a traditional candy from Brittany (and a favorite flavor pairing among French and American chefs), the combination of salty and sweet exerts an almost primordial pull, and cream, milk, and eggs provide lush, luxurious texture.

The satiny hazelnut-flavored chocolate called gianduia—named for the masked character Gianduia of the centuries-old Italian commedia dell'arte—makes for a gelato that is suave and intense.

You'll want generous scoops of tangy richness with both the honey caramel peach pie and the plum-blackberry streusel pie , or all by itself. The ice cream is as blissful to prepare as it is to eat: Just purée everything in a blender, then freeze in an ice cream maker.

The citrusy flavor of the juicy South American naranjilla, which resembles a small orange, shines bright in a cool, sweet-sharp counterpoint to the volador. Frozen fruit purées—increasingly available in a wide range of varieties—are a great way to introduce yourself to fruits that are difficult to find fresh. Bonus: Making ice cream with them is a breeze.

As befitting a diner dessert, this ice cream is thick and rich and perfectly accents the apple tartlet. Cinnamon ice cream generally falls into three categories: infused via cinnamon sticks during the milk warming; ground cinnamon added during the milk warming; and ground cinnamon added at the very end. You can't get a real cinnamony flavor from the sticks alone, and adding ground cinnamon too early makes for a very strange texture. The third option lends a nice flavor and texture and leaves the custard pleasantly speckled.

This recipe comes from Katrina and Carmelo Turillo, owners of La Divina Gelateria in New Orleans.

A lovely little palate cleanser.

In Korea, dessert often means a simple piece of fruit. This ice cream, though more complex, rings so clearly of mandarin oranges that we think an exception may be made. Sesame seeds, valued in Korean cooking for their medicinal properties, thread their way through the frozen custard as nuggets of honey-sweetened brittle. When making a large amount of ice cream, as this recipe does, it's imperative to churn the mixture in two batches, so ice crystals don’t form.

Spumoni trumps all others as the ideal frozen treat: It's richer than gelato, lighter than ice cream, and smoother than frozen custard. The inspiration for this classic flavor combination came from L & B Spumoni Gardens, in Brooklyn, a favorite spot for this tricolor treat.

Bill Gross, who was executive sous chef at Café Gray in New York City, was kind enough to create this recipe for me—and it is simply delicious. The technique is fascinating, but it does require some careful watching while the sugar caramelizes. The oranges are prepared two days ahead, and the ice cream one day ahead—and the waiting is well worth it!

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

Layer store-bought vanilla ice cream with peanut butter, caramel sauce, and a peanut–graham cracker crust for the ultimate summer dessert indulgence.

The decadent chocolate-dipped ice cream cones are easy—and a lot offun—to make at home.

Rum and apples go hand in hand, especially when the rum is in a scoop of ice cream melting over the apples in a pie.

The combination of condensed milk and lime gives this dessert a bit of tropical flair.

An incredible frozen treat that doesn't require an ice cream maker. Serve with crisp butter cookies.

We were enchanted by Segovia-Welsh’s idea of cold ice cream flavored with "warming" spices such as those found in the fragrant Chinese blend called five-spice powder. It turns the honest little caramel pecan cakes into something suave.