Cook the Book: 'Dolce Italiano, Desserts From the Babbo Kitchen'

Required Eating

Cook the Book: 'Dolce Italiano, Desserts From the Babbo Kitchen'

Posted by Ed Levine, November 5, 2007 at 2:45 PM

Conventional wisdom in the food world is that desserts in Italian restaurants are an afterthought. All I can say is that the people spouting that conventional wisdom have never had Gina DePalma's desserts at Babbo in New York City. I have had the privilege of eating DePalma's desserts since the restaurant opened. I have over the years sampled every dessert on the menu at least once, and I can tell you there isn't a loser in the bunch. Now that DePalma has written Dolce Italiano: Desserts From the Babbo Kitchen, we can all try to replicate the magic that comes out of Mario Batali's tiny kitchen at Babbo every night. What's really cool about Dolce Italiano is that DePalma herself wrote every word with the exception of Mario's introduction. It turns out the woman can write and cook.

Win One of Five Copies

As you may have guessed, Dolce Italiano is this week's featured Cook the Book entry. Like all Cook the Books, we have five (5) copies to give away. Just tell us what your favorite Italian sweet is.

Five winners will be chosen at random from among the comments. You have until 3 p.m. ET Saturday, November 10, to comment. The standard contest rules apply.

Comments are Closed. | Tags: contests, Cook the Book, cookbooks, desserts, Gina DePalma, Italian

Comments are closed: 227 Comments:

Tiramisu is the be-all and end-all of Italian sweets for me. The creamy, mushy, alcoholicatiousness of it all makes me swoon.

Stufsocker at 2:52PM on 11/05/07

Pine nut macaroons! MMMMMMMM.... although they can sometimes be surpassed by cannoli.

k_d at 2:56PM on 11/05/07

Gelato!

happybites at 2:58PM on 11/05/07

My Nonna's fig cookies. I need to learn how to make them this winter...

ironstef at 3:00PM on 11/05/07

My favorite sweet is Italy's great gift to mankind: Gelato! I love pistachio and hazelnut flavors!.

elderberry44 at 3:00PM on 11/05/07

The olive oil cake & gelato at Babbo :)

LizNYC at 3:04PM on 11/05/07

Pistachio Gelato. I also love the fig cookies.

malenky at 3:04PM on 11/05/07

A pine nut tart I made for a wine pairing dinner...texture of pecan pie, sort of, but lighter. (I recall egg whites I think in the filling) My dang pastry chef absconded with that cookbook!

Cary at 3:04PM on 11/05/07

gelato!

catalu at 3:05PM on 11/05/07

I remember as a kid trying those little "Amaretti" cookies that were in the really cool red tin. I liked how they were individually wrapped in the white paper....and thought that as good as the cookie was, I just LOVED using that tin after I finished them up!! Yum.....I think I need to go out and find some Amarettis now.

stacylyn at 3:06PM on 11/05/07

gelato

earlybirdkate at 3:08PM on 11/05/07

Cannoli, tiramisu, and gelato (sorry, can't pick just one)

Mich23 at 3:09PM on 11/05/07

gelato.

EmilySC at 3:09PM on 11/05/07

Torrone....no....cannoli....no.....sfinge....no....cuccidati....I can decide....I love them all equally! :-)
My very favorites though, are the little fried honey balls we used to have for St. Joseph's Day.

mepolo at 3:10PM on 11/05/07

Oh, geez. Tiramisu, hands down!

Tactful_Cactus at 3:11PM on 11/05/07

If I could only eat one Italian dessert from now on I would have to go with cannoli.

vox8ight at 3:11PM on 11/05/07

gelato con panna!

Ann Fisher at 3:11PM on 11/05/07

OMG - just one?! Well, that's certainly the culinary version of Sophie's Choice. I love all the usual suspects - gelato, cannoli, sfogliatelle, pignoli cookies, tiramisu, etc. - but I really love torrone. When I was little, my dad would get me a box of it (each square was individually wrapped in its own tiny box) whenever I was sick.

punkin712 at 3:17PM on 11/05/07

too many choices, but cannoli is it

tenpointfarmer at 3:21PM on 11/05/07

Mmmm....zabaglione!

MissT at 3:22PM on 11/05/07

cliched it may be, but... tiramisu

ansate at 3:22PM on 11/05/07

I was going to go gelato, until punkin reminded me of torrone...it's been a while, but man, it's my favorite of all time. I can eat a whole brick of it...

tkln at 3:23PM on 11/05/07

I love tiramisu! My favorite dessert of any cuisine. When it's made right, it's like eating heaven on a plate...

bellrm00 at 3:26PM on 11/05/07

Could I skip dessert and just have limoncello?

SelimaCat at 3:27PM on 11/05/07

For me it's got to be a perfect cannoli.

pfibiger at 3:29PM on 11/05/07

I have to join the tiramisu bandwagon, so good, but I love amaretti, too.

jenjw4 at 3:30PM on 11/05/07

Lidia Bastianich is my favorite Italian sweetie.

seyo at 3:30PM on 11/05/07

Giada. Wait, no, that's not what you meant ... tiramasu, but only when made by the 20-year-old Chef Cedric at the nearby Frog Leg Inn. I've had none better.

LunaPierCook at 3:34PM on 11/05/07

What a difficult question??? Do we really have to pick just one??? I guess I'm gonna have to go with cannoli-----

bespo81 at 3:39PM on 11/05/07

Tiramisu. Like the little girl with the little curl: when it's good, it's very very good, but when it's bad it's horrid.

pieninja at 3:41PM on 11/05/07

Anything hazelnut... Torta Gianduja, Perugina's Baci chocolates, nutella. Hazelnut and chocolate together always remind me of Italy.

sparkythewonderdog at 3:44PM on 11/05/07

Ricotta pound cake! And lemon oil cake! Both with gelato! Any and all flavors of gelato! With polenta cookies to end. It's like one big dessert. Oooo, desserts are soooo happy! =)

Kathy_yl at 3:44PM on 11/05/07

I love cannoli and panna cotta, but I think the winner has got to be fresh fruit paired with zabaione.

digitalburro at 3:45PM on 11/05/07

Whenever I think classic Italian deserts, I'm reminded of a great story that Tony Bourdain told me over dinner several years ago. As the story begins, Bourdain's at the tail end of a meal at a fantastic but little known restaurant on the Costiera Amalfitana, a meal that concluded with one of the best deserts he'd ever had, something the locals know as "caricamento del sistema del ratto." So he asks the chef how the dish is made and the chef says, "Accantonate un ratto, lo battete alla morte con il tallone di un caricamento del sistema ed allora mangiate il caricamento del sistema."

slloyddouglass at 3:47PM on 11/05/07

Hands down favorite is classic Italian gelato. I remember my first taste of real gelato - I was on a high school trip to Europe and we stopped by a sweets shop just off the main square in Florence. I had a classic chocolate cone and a more exotic passion fruit cone, and I was hooked. As we continued on our walking tour I snuck off not once, but twice, to go back to the sweets shop and ended up getting six more cones of varying flavors. On my second return I got caught by one of the chaperones who threatened to send me back to the hotel, but I could have cared less. The memory of the taste of that gelato will remain with me for the rest of my life.

guevara284 at 3:47PM on 11/05/07

hard call but I think I might go with gelato, chocolate preferably

zekks at 3:47PM on 11/05/07

Gelato!

Kimberly at 3:51PM on 11/05/07

Over 20 years ago, my husband and I spent a month in northern Italy. We became regulars at a tiny trattoria in Pallanza, on the shores of Lago Maggiore. One evening, the proprietor had a very busy night and he felt as though he didn't give us the same level of attention he normally would. So he brought us a dessert of lovely orange slices soaked in Gran Marnier and a couple of glasses of a light, fizzy wine. It was a delightful surprise!

Library Lady at 3:52PM on 11/05/07

Cannoli!

StudentStomach at 3:54PM on 11/05/07

If only you could cram tiramisu inside cannoli...

Nezrite at 3:54PM on 11/05/07

@ slloyd now that is funny and I bet old Tony Disdain loved it.

I am a pizzelle lover. They are like potato chips to me I cannot just eat one.

JerzeeTomato at 3:56PM on 11/05/07

Amaretti cookies....one after another, with Sabayon and fresh berries.

coastalvicar

coastalvicar at 3:57PM on 11/05/07

nutella!

nicoles at 4:06PM on 11/05/07

Mmmmm, Gelato.

pcrackenhead at 4:07PM on 11/05/07

Along with so many others, I vote for tiramisu.

danwalk at 4:10PM on 11/05/07

this is a difficult decision... i love gelato and panna cotta

NomNomNom at 4:11PM on 11/05/07

Affogato al cafe!

LearP at 4:18PM on 11/05/07

Oh, panna cota, totally. I'm lactose intolerant, but it's one of those things I'll totally cheat for, damn the consequences.

Peasantwench at 4:20PM on 11/05/07

Budino!

chestnutflour at 4:20PM on 11/05/07

strufoli. hands down.

danielle719 at 4:21PM on 11/05/07

Whichever dessert has the most marscapone is my favorite

cam00023 at 4:23PM on 11/05/07

tiramisu!

leegwebb at 4:24PM on 11/05/07

Tiramisu

Noodler at 4:28PM on 11/05/07

Gelato!

gscherr at 4:28PM on 11/05/07

Gelato.

ConschBTJ at 4:28PM on 11/05/07

Gelato is always a treat and tiramisu is delightful, but panna cotta takes the cake (both literally and figuratively)!

jenberger at 4:30PM on 11/05/07

Oh! How I want this book! I love all that is Babbo.

Favorite italian dessert--the cannoli. Torta della Nonna is a close second.

michellelikestoeat at 4:31PM on 11/05/07

A good Tiramisu.

FoodBoy at 4:38PM on 11/05/07

Tiramisu! I want some now....

Jeana at 4:38PM on 11/05/07

the hazelnut-chocolate combination. anything from hazelnut gelato, baci candies or gianduja chocolate.

mbbeamer32 at 4:48PM on 11/05/07

A well-prepared panna cotta is a thing of beauty - and deliciousness. It's a shame that only maybe 10% are well-prepared.

epicure at 4:49PM on 11/05/07

Tiramisu is my favorite! It truly is a "pick me up".

cherierj at 4:49PM on 11/05/07

pistachio gelato

linda at 5:00PM on 11/05/07

GELATO!

chlamers at 5:06PM on 11/05/07

Almond torrone.

doglover at 5:15PM on 11/05/07

Oh lord. I feel like there's a giant scope of Italian desserts I have yet to uncover...But right now I'd have to say cannoli...

Christina at 5:20PM on 11/05/07

tiramisu or tartufo

sln123 at 5:22PM on 11/05/07

this is tough...i'm going to have to go with tiramisu (for now)!

bianca at 5:27PM on 11/05/07

The olive oil and orange cake from Molto Italiano, with one or more
glasses of wine.

jsalern at 5:35PM on 11/05/07

pinenut cookies for sure..mmmm

ErikaK at 5:37PM on 11/05/07

My vote is for tiramisu.

cher48603 at 5:40PM on 11/05/07

cannolis. and ricotta cheesecake, but mostly just cannolis.

missmicker at 5:47PM on 11/05/07

Yum, fregolatta

paggis at 5:52PM on 11/05/07

that's a hard choice. cannoli or tiramisu, gelato, panna cotta, affogato? mmmmm

marahochman at 6:01PM on 11/05/07

Cannoli...mmmmmm

mozart23 at 6:10PM on 11/05/07

pignoli (pine nut cookies), or anything involving pine nuts (like torta della nonna). also blackberry crostata!

emmab at 6:13PM on 11/05/07

real gelato, in Italy.

hobnob at 6:14PM on 11/05/07

In Little Italy, I get a small bowl of Cannoli Cream topped with Strawberries. Oh the huge-manatee.... it's so good.

Sigma_Greg at 6:18PM on 11/05/07

Zabaglione, preferably with raw egg yolks.

zamboni at 6:25PM on 11/05/07

toasted bread with nutella.. I ate it every morning when in Italy in 2004

bigjenthepunisher at 6:32PM on 11/05/07

Tiramisu, gelato, and cannoli
There is NO WAY to choose just ONE favorite!

Erinay77 at 6:46PM on 11/05/07

Real gelato enjoyed in Rome or Florence on a warm summer night!

bobcatsteph3 at 6:57PM on 11/05/07

Italian Syrups...in coffee, steamers, deserts, and cocktails. They work all over the place. Orgeat is really suprising in its versatility.

timjertson at 6:58PM on 11/05/07

My full blooded Italian father's goodnight kisses. Those were my favorite Italian sweet. He'd put me to bed, sing "I see the moon" with me, and then give me a kiss on the forehead at the end of the song.

It doesn't get sweeter than that.

texasdeb at 7:02PM on 11/05/07

Yes, and, only the most requested dessert at work,...I too bow to the tiramisu god, Hail, hail!!!

Sue22 at 7:02PM on 11/05/07

I think it would have to be the amaretti cookie, especially since I tried the recipe on the delicious simply recipes blog.

jennywenny at 7:10PM on 11/05/07

torrone and gelato

Marilyn at 7:38PM on 11/05/07

Sfogliatelle!

Josh Baugher at 7:47PM on 11/05/07

granita

ebpizza at 7:52PM on 11/05/07

cannolis, definitely cannolis!

tracyw at 8:15PM on 11/05/07

biscotti, accompanied by a steaming hot latte

hungrykat at 8:26PM on 11/05/07

does nutella count? if so... nutella with toasty bread.... mmmm

anado at 8:41PM on 11/05/07

Gelato and torta del nonna!

bianca34dw at 8:42PM on 11/05/07

gelato! or is it nutella!? wait! amaretti! nutella flavored gelato with amaretti crumbled on top! how do i fit in a panna cotta?

washed down with caffe coretto...

thegreatlumpia at 8:48PM on 11/05/07

Biscotti with an espresso. mmm

dna90048 at 9:01PM on 11/05/07

Tiramisu it is, preferably with a nice little kick.

verbafacio at 9:07PM on 11/05/07

Cannoli. No question.

madball911 at 9:13PM on 11/05/07

Sfogliatelle!

tereza at 9:21PM on 11/05/07

Cannoli.

0bs01337 at 9:23PM on 11/05/07

Either pizzelles or strufoli! I'm a sucker for Christmastime desserts :)

tokin84 at 9:27PM on 11/05/07

Gelato, of course!

thesu at 9:52PM on 11/05/07

panna cotta.

Eilen at 9:53PM on 11/05/07

I really enjoy tiramisu, affogato di gelato is divine, and a panettone is the best Italian sweet bread ever, but a biscotto is by far my favorite. I am a coffee freak and nothing pairs better than a cookie that doesn't turn completely soggy when dipping.

ChristinaINP at 9:54PM on 11/05/07

Panettone and pignoli cookies!

pupilindenial at 10:15PM on 11/05/07

gelato!

foodinmouth at 10:21PM on 11/05/07

torrone, by the pound.

tortor at 10:32PM on 11/05/07

Amaretti

jedimtb at 10:47PM on 11/05/07

Tiramisu, definitely.

sobriquet at 11:19PM on 11/05/07

Gelato from Fiocco di Neve.

iyamapotato at 11:58PM on 11/05/07

Love a hot-tub sized tiramisu

Randy Shore at 12:28AM on 11/06/07

Budino and gelato you can't lose. Always a winner.

chezwho at 12:31AM on 11/06/07

Pizzelles! Pizzelles!

And the old Stella D'oro anise toast...

ohiogal at 12:32AM on 11/06/07

Strufoli!! Those little honey balls were the first real Italian dessert I learned how to make. Love them!

kfarrel3 at 12:47AM on 11/06/07

zabaglione

holybasil at 1:02AM on 11/06/07

Besides good gelato, I love those little Torrone candies that are chunks of nougat mixed with nuts or fruit of some kind. I used to hate them, but now I can't get enough.

chasgoose at 4:27AM on 11/06/07

cannoli or wait, gelato...I love them both!!!

Teri at 7:46AM on 11/06/07

Naturally, it has to be Tiramisu... hmmm.... so good.

kmbrly at 7:50AM on 11/06/07

Tiramisu or Canoli, depending on my mood and the skill of the chef.

dmorriso at 8:28AM on 11/06/07

Although I have to admit I prefer my desserts more in the German tradition, it's always hard for me to pass up a good cannoli.

sidebernie at 8:33AM on 11/06/07

Probably cannoli. And, although I haven't yet had the chance to try one, I have been on a hunt for good sfogliatelle.

Holly at 8:49AM on 11/06/07

gosh, hard choice .. i grew up in an italian community (though i myself am chinese), and love italian foods (and big italian families!). i'll go with something simple - amaretti, with a good strong cup of coffee.

mrsbao at 8:52AM on 11/06/07

Gelato!

Pierogi at 9:03AM on 11/06/07

tiramisu

hedgehog at 9:24AM on 11/06/07

Rum cake

schnitzel at 9:44AM on 11/06/07

Hands down , the tiramisu at Gennaro's in Quincy , Ma. TO DIE FOR !!!! Second , the cannoli's from White's Bakery in Brockton , Ma. FANTASTIC !!!!!! And good gelato from ....anywhere !!!!

NewEnglandBites at 9:47AM on 11/06/07

Proper Spumoni with Liqueur can't be beat

jtennantwise at 10:25AM on 11/06/07

Tiramisu, but only if it's well made. I'm super picky about it and have only liked three tiramisus in my life: 1) Max restaurant in NYC, 2) some Italian restaurant in Edinburgh (of all places), and 3) my Italian neighbor's.

Supposedly it was invented in Baltimore, but I have yet to go to the bakery at which it was invented to try it out. I will, soon.

And don't even get me started on the frozen readymade stuff - it makes me gag!

charm city cupcake at 10:54AM on 11/06/07

Tiramisu... the best I've had was made by nuns. Further proof that it is a divinely inspired creation.

TableForOne at 10:57AM on 11/06/07

Mmmm...Spumoni with all those cherry and pistachio chunks and pizzelle were my faves as a kid. I got to try Torrone candies last Christmas and loved them, too. Don't know how I missed them way back when...Maybe the adults were hoarding them ;-)

coffeefrappe at 11:09AM on 11/06/07

I'm not much for sweets in general, but I adore a good biscotti. I also like fruit gelato.

Cannoli makes me want to gag, and I'm very picky about tiramisu. Like I said, I'm not much for sweets.

KarynMC at 11:15AM on 11/06/07

Cannoli! My favorite uncle (God rest his soul) would buy a box of cannoli shells with the filling in a separate container, and we'd sit out on their porch and eat. My siblings would glop as much of the filling on their shells, but I preferred mine with the merest smear on my crunchy, chocolate drizzled pastry.

I trie cannoli again recently, and it's not the same.

lorelei76 at 11:33AM on 11/06/07

I love affogato, budino, amaretti, tortoni, bomboloni....but most of all, I love a simple spoonful of nutella.

Ande at 11:41AM on 11/06/07

torta della nonna

astarteny at 11:43AM on 11/06/07

amaretti and panna cotta

phoebe lawless at 12:12PM on 11/06/07

I have to agree with pieninja about tiramisu-when its good its very very good, but when it is bad its horrid. Therefore, I find that gelato is consistently amazing, so I'll go with that as may fave!

psychsarah at 12:34PM on 11/06/07

This is a tough one! Hazelnut gelato if i'm going for something creamy and biscotti (hazelnut again) if I want something crunchy for my coffee.

Lauren B at 12:44PM on 11/06/07

Summertime in Jersey meant one thing. Pizzajeds (Zeppoles). My grandmother would fry up bites of pizza dough into heavenly goodies dusted with powdered sugar. So simple, yet so addictive.

cbjchef at 12:52PM on 11/06/07

i am partial to budino. or sacripantina from stella's in san francisco.

skim at 1:37PM on 11/06/07

Authentic gelato truly has no competition in the Italian desserts world!

jpark107 at 1:54PM on 11/06/07

Tartufo - best dessert ever.

darth_kittius at 2:11PM on 11/06/07

Cannoli

Irene at 2:14PM on 11/06/07

stracciatella gelato

sillylil at 2:21PM on 11/06/07

Lobster tail, or Sfogliatella. Yum-o!

dikaryon at 2:35PM on 11/06/07

Pistachio Gelato or maybe pofiteroles (sp?)!

thaddius at 2:35PM on 11/06/07

I love the cannoli's at Modern Pastry in the North End of Boston. I love all cannoli's, but theirs are sooo goooooood....

everything_is_free at 2:40PM on 11/06/07

Arancio del cioccolato (chocolate/orange) gelato. Simply amazing! I have to learn how to make some of my own...

spacecadet at 2:58PM on 11/06/07

I've had a love affair with tiramisu for quite some time but a good zuppa inglese comes in at a close second.

Tenbucc2 at 3:31PM on 11/06/07

Have to say cannoli - especially my mother-in-law's.

sjwoodin at 3:40PM on 11/06/07

Tiramisu! I'm considering making my own mascarpone next time.

Cindy at 4:04PM on 11/06/07

Every year during the holidays, I make a pastry that my family calls simply nutbread. The recipe came from my grandmother's family, originating in Italy. It is a sweet yeast bread with a ground walnut filling, and the taste is amazing! It takes me all day, at least 8 hours to make a batch of 12 loaves, but it is worth it!

amylou61 at 4:37PM on 11/06/07

I miss buying cannolis on the boardwalk. Definitely cannolis.

phattymatt at 5:13PM on 11/06/07

I do love a good crostata di ricotta, my runner--up would be zuppa inglese.

sluvis at 5:17PM on 11/06/07

I'm loving me the gelato!!!

Jperezish at 5:28PM on 11/06/07

Gelato, of course! Pistachio is my favorite...

LA_Eater at 6:47PM on 11/06/07

It doesn't get better than Torta Caprese

karen r at 7:04PM on 11/06/07

Panna Cotta. Well done, it's amazing.

kdjmom3 at 7:34PM on 11/06/07

I love a good Cassata Cake! I can't believe it hasn't been mentioned!

keilan00 at 7:37PM on 11/06/07

Cannoli.

violette at 7:40PM on 11/06/07

does the butterscotch budino at pizzeria mozza count? if not, then gelato. mascarpone gelato.

nancyisgod at 8:42PM on 11/06/07

mmmm, pignoli tarts
piztelli (anise waffle cookies)
in a restaurant, affogato is what I love
or anything at Babbo

I want this book!

guido at 9:02PM on 11/06/07

torrone ... and those little honey-coated cookies my grandma used to make (not struffoli) ... and cannoli ... and zabaglione ... and ...

GregWA at 9:15PM on 11/06/07

It has to be a tie between Panna Cotta or Cannoli. Both are just so damn good and the search for the perfect one is both long and pleasurable.

Of course I've not found the perfect example of each yet so I guess I'll have to keep looking :)

gmerrall at 9:16PM on 11/06/07

gelato. my friend antonio in germany is an incredible artist and makes a wonderful concoction he calls spaghetti eis: vanilla gelato put through a ricer so that it resembles strands of spaghetti, a lump of whipped cream tucked inside, then raspberry coulis for the tomato sauce and shards of white chocolate for the parmesan.

cybercita at 9:38PM on 11/06/07

Biscotti! Mm!

michichan at 9:59PM on 11/06/07

pistachio gelato

Littlebluesiren at 10:42PM on 11/06/07

Cookies from an Italian bakery in Brooklyn - with an espresso.

elysek at 12:43AM on 11/07/07

Really tough! Gelato makes a great snack after a heavy meal. And you can't beat little amaretti cookies with espresso. Torrone at the holidays. But my favorite is probably a well-made tiramisu. The depth of flavors can be remarkable and always delicious.

jd7979 at 8:55AM on 11/07/07

Gelato is a winner--I once got fine media attention for a white chocolate hazelnut concoction--I think it was the Frangelico that did it!

beano at 10:02AM on 11/07/07

amaretti cookies!

pezbabypez at 10:09AM on 11/07/07

My favorite Italian dessert is baba au rum

cupcup at 10:44AM on 11/07/07

pignoli : )

jessicav at 11:06AM on 11/07/07

Without a doubt..Panaforte! Absolutely, love,love,love the stuff!

ssommerville at 12:54PM on 11/07/07

Pistachio gelato OR hazelnut biscotti dipped in chocolate with espresso,.

SweetPhyl at 1:15PM on 11/07/07

nothing tops a perfect panna cotta, with a pinch of nutmeg, of course!

Mia Rose at 1:15PM on 11/07/07

Gelato!

aungeinphx at 1:50PM on 11/07/07

A fresh, well-made cannoli just can't be beat. But since those aren't always easy to find, tiramisu is my "standard" choice - the no-egg version.

threedogkitchen at 2:05PM on 11/07/07

cannoli--freshly filled, of course

raspberryberet at 2:14PM on 11/07/07

gelato. Not even a question. Pistachio. Hazelnut. Whatever! I never met a gelato I didn't LOVE!

cupcake girl at 2:14PM on 11/07/07

Cannoli, always connoli. The best are from Moio's in Monroeville PA. Oh how I miss them.

sarington at 2:36PM on 11/07/07

definitely tiramisu!

whynotthis at 2:53PM on 11/07/07

Tartufo - no question about it.

katenyc at 2:59PM on 11/07/07

Zuccotto

AdriBarr at 3:09PM on 11/07/07

Cannoli.

heartnibbler at 4:20PM on 11/07/07

Tiramisu

rudolfrassen at 4:39PM on 11/07/07

Zuppa Englaise

SavtaShayna at 4:48PM on 11/07/07

I gotta say Gelato!

therose28 at 5:18PM on 11/07/07

My favorite is a cake from Parma called the Torta Baroli. It's a flourless chocolate cake made with ground almond, coffee, and is wonderful. People are in shock when they eat it.

The recipe is in "The Splendid Table" by Lynne Rossetto Kasper.

wisewaif at 5:27PM on 11/07/07

Guaresmalle--the very hard, very Italian hazelnut biscotti that Veniero's features during it's Christmastime dessert extravaganza. (They curtain off the main section of the bakery and just sell Italian desserts for a "Buono Natale!" The Regina cookies are my second favorite.

pieceocake at 8:43PM on 11/07/07

lemoncello and gelato

bojabb at 10:04PM on 11/07/07

Tiramisu for me

xalexx at 10:08AM on 11/08/07

Tiramisu

sadielorrae at 10:49AM on 11/08/07

Ricotta Cheesecake

Soup_Dumpling at 12:04PM on 11/08/07

...I have to choose between gelato and tiramisu? Ok, fine, gelato. But don't make me pick a particular flavour.

eskay at 3:28PM on 11/08/07

cannoli!

Megs915 at 4:09PM on 11/08/07

My favourite Italian desert is the CASTAGNACCIO ( Chestnut Cake) made by my mum. I love it's fudge-like texture and usually have it smeared with ricotta. Deliciouso!!!

shreya24 at 6:07PM on 11/08/07

I would have to agree with SelimaCat above... Homemade limoncello from Ca del Buco in Bologna takes the cake. Otherwise? Any masterfully made gelato.

miso at 6:26PM on 11/08/07

picture a nice rectangle dessert plate with the crispiest of cannoli shells that have been filled with the lightest of fillings. To the right is a small ramekin of just warm nutella for dipping with a teensy sprinkling of really good sea salt. On the left side are fresh berries of blue, deep red and deep black-purple...drizzled with a creamy zabaglione and just the finest sprinkle of fine amaretti cookie crumb on top. Steaming hot espresso with a teensy dollop of fresh whipped cream.

2 hours later, an ice cold limoncello. Ahhhh....

ChelleyD01 at 7:12PM on 11/08/07

A shot of the oldest balsamic I can find.

gwcafe at 7:49PM on 11/08/07

i love little sospiri, but really, gelato is my favorite

Mercedes at 8:48PM on 11/08/07

Tiramisu. I love how light and creamy the dessert is.

Jikuu at 9:42AM on 11/09/07

Mmm, panna cotta!

joanie at 10:50AM on 11/09/07

Tiramisu, biscotti comes second!

Mandy at 11:33AM on 11/09/07

I'm gonna have to go with limoncello.

girl222 at 12:56PM on 11/09/07

All of the above baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;-)

ccarolyn at 1:22PM on 11/09/07

All of the above baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;-)

ccarolyn at 1:22PM on 11/09/07

Gelato and biscotti dipped in vin santo.

meredith at 1:34PM on 11/09/07

honey and fig gelato from San Crispino in Rome.

lola27 at 1:34PM on 11/09/07

that delicious yogurt gelato. sublime.

elizabethisstillhungry at 2:09PM on 11/09/07

Oh, tiramisu for sure. I've had a lot of mediocre renditions, but the great ones have me dreaming about them for days.

youkosiren at 2:21PM on 11/09/07

Afogato combines two of the great Italian culinary arts-- espresso and gelato. I love that the first bite tastes nothing like the last as the gelato melts and the coffee flavors take over.

Schlock and Awe at 2:25PM on 11/09/07

For me, it's gotta be biscotti and panna cotta!

Natalie at 2:51PM on 11/09/07

gelato gelato gelato

i8alot at 3:12PM on 11/09/07

limoncello, or tiramisu. Ok, both together.

HeyCarl at 3:45PM on 11/09/07

I love cannoli.

mellow at 5:10PM on 11/09/07

cannoli.

GabeN at 5:36PM on 11/09/07

Panna Cotta and its smooth, creamy, not to sweet self! Love it!