Rich. Sweet. Delicious. It’s very rare to find a person who’s not a big fan of dessert, be it a small child or a serious adult. And while we all love pasta, there’s something to be said about the other side of Italian cuisine — the desserts.

Many Italian desserts are centred around flavours like coffee, dark chocolate and alcohol, such as the classic tiramisù and traditional torta al cioccolato. These beautifully decadent flavours can make a dinner party (or a simple Netflix binge night — we don’t judge!) feel complete, and give any meal the crescendo it deserves. So, without further ado, here are three of our favourite Italian desserts that you’re sure to love.

1. Tiramisù

A true Italian staple, the Tiramisù is a favourite among coffee lovers. While the exact date and location of its origin are disputed, this scrumptious combination of strong espresso flavours, sweet and creamy mascarpone, and softened ladyfinger biscuits provide the perfect climax for any dinner. What’s more, it’s really easy to make — however, make sure to prepare it in advance as the taste of the coffee needs to properly absorb into the sponge fingers overnight.

Ingredients

3 large egg yolks, chilled
120g powdered sugar, sifted
500g mascarpone cheese, chilled
Around 30 hard Italian ladyfingers
120ml cooled brewed espresso or strong coffee
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Method

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric whisk to beat the egg yolks and powdered sugar on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is creamy.
Add the mascarpone, continuing to whisk at medium speed for about a minute, until smooth.
Dip the ladyfingers into the coffee, no longer than 1 to 2 seconds per side to prevent the tiramisú from becoming too watery. If you want your tiramisú to be boozy, you can mix the coffee with a little bit of rum, amaretto or brandy before dipping.
Arrange the ladyfingers at the bottom of your casserole dish (we recommend 20x20x8cm, but any similar size would work) in one layer.
Spread about a third of the mascarpone mixture on top.
Repeat this process twice more: layer ladyfingers and cover with mascarpone.
Cover the tiramisú tightly with cling film and refrigerate overnight, no less than 8 hours.
Before serving, lightly dust the top with cocoa powder.

2. Cannoli

With the re-emergence of The Sopranos as a cult favourite, there are few people who don’t recognise that iconic cannoli scene — and what other pastry is worth going through that much trouble for? With a crunchy sweet shell casing and glorious creamy filling, cannoli is a delicacy found in many traditional Italian bakeries, but making it at home isn’t as hard as it may appear.

Ingredients

For the shell

375g flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
4 tbsp powdered sugar
1 egg
30ml white wine vinegar
30ml Marsala wine
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp instant coffee
1 pinch salt

For the filling

750g ricotta cheese
170g dark chocolate chips
300g sugar

Additional ingredients

24 candied cherries, for garnish
Powdered sugar, for garnish
1 egg white, for egg wash
Vegetable oil, for frying

Method

Place the cheese in a large colander and secure over a bowl, allowing to drain. Store in the fridge.
In a separate, large mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, cinnamon, powdered coffee and cocoa. Sift in the powdered sugar.
Mix the vinegar with the Marsala wine and add the mixture and the egg into the dry ingredients slowly, kneading occasionally. Depending on how the flour absorbs, you may not need the whole vinegar mixture — the dough should be soft and elastic, but firm.
On a work surface, knead the dough until it reaches the desired consistency. Wrap it with cling film and leave it to rest in the fridge for an hour.
While the dough is cooling, prepare the filling. Put the drained ricotta cheese in a large bowl and add the sugar. Stir gently.
Cover the bowl with cling film and place in the fridge to rest for at least an hour.
Once your components are fully chilled, place a fine sieve atop a separate bowl and, with the help of a spatula, crush the cheese mixture down to form a very fine cream. Add in the chocolate chips (or any other ingredient you prefer). Mix well and place in the fridge.
Using a rolling pin, create a thin 1-2mm pastry from the dough. With a round pastry ring, create at least 24 pieces.
Stretch each circle and roll them around a cannoli mould (metal cylinders will work too), brushing the ends with egg whites before stacking them.
Pour enough vegetable oil into a medium saucepan to deep fry the shells and heat it up. Once hot, fry all the cannoli shells. When they’re golden and ready, place them on a couple of sheets of kitchen roll. Let them cool completely before removing the cylinders.
Place the cream in a pastry bag ready to pipe with a smooth, wide nozzle. Fill the cold cannoli shells with the cream.
Garnish by cutting a candied cherry in half and placing one at each end. Alternatively, you can use orange peel or chopped pistachios.
Top with powdered sugar to serve.

3. Torta Della Nonna

There are so many amazing Italian desserts that we could pick to round off this list — panna cotta, affogato, even simple gelato. But there is no pudding that invokes nostalgia more than a simple Torta Della Nonna, or in English, Grandmother’s tart. This delightful custard dessert works as an indulgent post-dinner dolce or simply as a side for coffee or tea.

Ingredients

For the pastry

2 medium eggs
450g 00 flour (or plain flour if you don’t have it)
160g sugar
200g cold butter, cut into small chunks
Zest of 1 lemon

For the filling

1 litre whole milk
1 egg yolk
3 eggs
2¼ tbsp cornstarch
225g sugar
2 tbsp 00 flour
1 lemon

Additional ingredients

Powdered sugar, for garnish
25g pine nuts, for garnish

Method

Preheat your oven to 160°C.
In a mixer, place the flour and cold butter and mix until a sandy texture is formed.
Transfer the mixture onto a work surface, and create a well in the centre. Pour the sugar and eggs into the basin, then add the lemon zest. Mix briefly to compact the shortcrust.
Form the shape of a loaf, flatten slightly and cover with cling film, then place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
While the dough is chilling, place the milk in a small saucepan.
Using a vegetable peeler, peel large chunks of the lemon peel, ensuring not to include the bitter, white part. Add the peel to the milk and heat over low — it should almost boil but not get to a bubbling point.
In a separate bowl, mix the three eggs, egg yolk and sugar together. When the sugar is absorbed, sift the flour and cornstarch into the bowl and combine.
Take out the lemon peel from the milk and remove the saucepan from the heat.
Add a small amount of the hot milk into the egg mixture to dilute it slightly, mix well, then replace the saucepan over the hot hob and pour in the egg mixture carefully.
Cook slowly, stirring often with a whisk, for about 10-15 until thickened. When ready, remove from the heat and move it to a baking dish, covering immediately with cling film.
While you allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, spread the pastry on a lightly floured surface until it forms a 2-3mm thick disc. You can place the pastry between two sheets of baking paper to do this more easily.
Butter and flour a 26cm diameter tart pan, roll the pastry on a rolling pin and then unroll over the tin.
Press your fingers against the pastry to help it adhere to the edges of the pan and cut off any extra dough. Keep it, though, as it will be used for the top shell.
Poke the bottom with a fork and pour the cooled custard into the shell.
Roll out the excess pastry into a disc shape and cover the pan. Remove any extra pastry using your rolling pin.
Puncture small holes into the top pastry with a fork and decorate with pine nuts.
Bake the tart on the lower shelf of your static oven. After 50 minutes, move it to the middle shelf and increase the temperature to 180°C for 10 minutes. If the surface is too dark while baking, cover with aluminium foil.
Let the tart cool completely before sprinkling with powdered sugar.