4 cups fresh ricotta cheese (2 pounds)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup minced crystallized ginger
¾ cup minced dried tart cherries
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
25 purchased cannoli shellsChopped pistachiosAdditional powdered sugar
Working in 2 batches, blend ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, mascarpone, orange peel, and vanilla in processor until smooth. Add ginger and cherries and process until well incorporated. Using on/off turns, mix in chocolate just until blended (do not puree). Transfer filling to large bowl.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before continuing.
Working in batches, transfer filling to pastry bag without tip. Pipe filling into cannoli shells. Sprinkle ends with pistachios. Chill at least 2 hours.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
Sift powdered sugar over cannoli and serve.
custards & puddings
stirred puddings
Double-Chocolate Pudding
Lime and Lemon Posset
Butterscotch Puddings with Whipped Cream and Crushed English Toffee
Chocolate-Espresso Puddings with Espresso Whipped Cream
pots de crème
Chocolate and Butterscotch Pots de Crème
Chocolate-Orange Pots de Crème with Candied Orange Peel
Cappuccino Creams
Chai Pots de Crème
Honey-Cardamom Custards with Strawberry-Orange Compote
flans
The Perfect Flan
Vanilla-Lime Flans
Mocha Crème Caramel
Mango Flans
Sweet Potato Flans
crèmes brûlées
Caramel Crème Brûlée
Ginger Crème Brûlée
Cherry Crème Brûlée
Coffee-Brandy Crème Brûlée
White Pepper Crème Brûlée with Fig and Prune Compote
Pumpkin and Brown Sugar Crème Brûlée
rice, tapioca & corn puddings
Vanilla Rice Pudding with Dried Cherries
Rice Pudding with Cream Sherry
Warm Jasmine Rice Puddings with Passion Fruit
Caramelized Mango-Lime Tapioca
Indian Pudding
panna cottas
Vanilla Panna Cottas with Mixed Berry Compote
Pomegranate Panna Cottas
Panna Cottas with Black Mission Figs in Syrup
Piña Colada Panna Cotta
bread puddings
Caramel-Banana Bread Puddings
Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding
Spiced Cranberry Bread Puddings
Gingerbread Puddings with Candied Apples
Sticky Date and Almond Bread Pudding with Amaretto Zabaglione
Lemon-Spice Bread Pudding with Sautéed Peaches
mousse
Classic Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate-Cinnamon Mousse with Cherries
Spiced Coffee Mousse
Whiskey-Kissed White Chocolate Mousse with Strawberries and Lemon Shortbread Squares
Lemon Mousse with Fresh Berries
Chilled Lemon Mousse with Caramel Sauce
Gianduja Terrine with Hazelnut Custard Sauce
fools
Blackberry-Cassis Fool
Raspberry Fool
tiramisu
Berry Charlotte
Classic Tiramisù
Individual Raspberry Tiramisùs with Raspberry-Framboise Sauce
parfaits & trifles
Chocolate Cranachan
Mascarpone and Berry Parfaits
Raspberry-Nectarine Parfaits with Warm Peach Sabayon
Champagne Parfaits with Pears and Raspberries
Cranberry and Lemon-Ginger Parfaits
Tuaca Zabaglione with Sautéed Vanilla Pears
Tiramisù Eggnog Trifle
White Chocolate Trifle with Spiced Pears
Chocolate-Cherry Trifle
soufflés
Chocolate Soufflés with White Chocolate Cream
Dark Chocolate Soufflés with Cardamom Crème Anglaise
Toffee Soufflés with Chocolate Sauce
Maple Gingerbread Soufflé
Lemon Soufflés with Boysenberries
Ricotta Soufflés with Blackberry Compote
Pear Soufflés with Chocolate Sauce
Salzburg Soufflé with Strawberry-Kirsch Sauce
This is just as quick to make as packaged pudding, but it tastes much, much better, thanks to the double dose of chocolate from both cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate. And there are no fancy tools required—just a whisk and a saucepan. 2 servings; can be doubled
⅓ cup sugar
2 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
4 teaspoons cornstarchPinch of salt
1 cup whole milk
½ ounce bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whisk sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in heavy medium saucepan until no lumps remain. Gradually add half of milk, whisking until mixture is smooth. Whisk in remaining milk. Cook over medium heat until pudding thickens and comes to boil, whisking constantly, about 5 minutes. Continue to boil 1 minute longer, whisking constantly.
Remove pudding from heat. Add chocolate and vanilla; whisk until chocolate melts and pudding is smooth. Divide between 2 dessert dishes. Chill puddings until cold, about 3 hours.
This dessert delivers great results with little effort. There is no need for eggs or gelatin to set the pudding; the acid in the lemon and lime juice does the trick all on its own. Makes 6
2¼ cups heavy whipping cream
¾ cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon finely grated lime peel
Bring cream and ¾ cup sugar to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil 3 minutes, stirring constantly and adjusting heat as needed to prevent mixture from boiling over. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and lime juice; cool 10 minutes. Stir pudding again and divide among six ½-cup ramekins or custard cups. Cover and chill puddings until set, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
Mix lemon peel, lime peel, and remaining 1 teaspoon sugar in small bowl. Sprinkle over puddings and serve.
This is butterscotch pudding for grown-ups: It gets a splash of Scotch whisky. Whisking the hot half and half into the egg yolks gradually (instead of all at once) keeps the yolks from curdling; straining the pudding helps provide the smoothest, silkiest result. Makes 6
3 cups half and half, divided
2 large egg yolks
⅓ cup cornstarch
¾ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon Scotch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup chilled heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar