From moist cakes to creamy cheesecakes and tangy cookies, each dish offers a burst of sunshine in every bite. These Italian recipes are sure to brighten your day and satisfy your sweet tooth.
Authentic Italian Easter Ricotta Pie
Ricotta pie is a lightly sweetened, cheesecake-like dessert with mini chocolate chips and candied citron. It has a lighter texture than traditional cheesecakes and is a real showstopper dessert.
You need: 1 pack shortcrust pastry, 500 g ricotta, 120 g sugar, 3 eggs, 1 lemon, 1 tsp vanilla.
- Line a tin with pastry.
- Beat ricotta, sugar, eggs, zest and vanilla and pour in.
- Bake at 180°C for 50 min.
Pizzicati (Italian pinch cookies)
Pizzicati (Italian pinch cookies) are delicious buttery cookies filled with jam, gently pinched in the center, and then finished off with a dusting of powdered sugar.
They are often part of an Easter, Christmas, or wedding dessert tray. They are so delicately sweet that they make a delicious little afternoon snack.
You need: 250 g flour, 100 g butter, 80 g sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp vanilla.
- Make a dough and pinch small pieces.
- Place on a tray.
- Bake at 180°C for 12 min.
Cannolis
This homemade Cannoli Recipe will blow you away with how rich and delicious it is! A creamy, sweet ricotta filling is loaded into freshly fried, crispy shells.
Dip the ends in mini chocolate chips or chopped nuts for the perfect finish.
You need: 200 g flour, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp butter, 60 ml marsala, 250 g ricotta, 80 g icing sugar, chocolate chips, oil.
- Make a dough, rest, roll thin and cut rounds.
- Wrap around tubes and fry until crisp.
- Fill with sweetened ricotta and chocolate.
Bunet
Bunet, a Piedmontese dessert, is a traditional recipe similar to chocolate crème caramel. It is an absolute joy to eat!
But you don’t have to be from Piedmont or Italy to master this recipe. It’s super simple to make, with steps that you can follow easily to create an impressive dessert for all occasions!
You need: 500 ml milk, 4 eggs, 100 g sugar, 3 tbsp cocoa, 6 amaretti, 1 tbsp rum.
- Make caramel in a mould.
- Blend milk, eggs, sugar, cocoa, crushed amaretti and rum.
- Bake in a water bath at 160°C for 50 min and chill.
Torta della Nonna
Torta della Nonna is a beloved, traditional Italian dessert that is enjoyed throughout the country. This classic tart is made with a lemony, tender shortcrust, filled with creamy Italian pastry, and is the perfect way to end any meal.
Despite its name, which translates to “grandmother’s cake,” this Italian custard pie was actually first created in a restaurant kitchen and quickly became a fan favorite.
You need: 1 pack shortcrust pastry, 500 ml custard, 50 g pine nuts, icing sugar.
- Line a tin with pastry and fill with custard.
- Cover with a pastry lid and add pine nuts.
- Bake at 180°C for 40 min and dust.
Italian Rainbow Cookies
If you want an adorable cookie recipe, try making Italian rainbow cookies. These cookies are also known as tri-color or tricolore cookies or Italian flag almond cookies, as they reflect the colors of Italy’s flag - red, white, and green.
These Italian-American cookies are made by layering almond cake with raspberry jelly and a sweet chocolate glaze. They’re not only visually appealing but also delicious to the taste buds!
You need: 200 g almond paste, 150 g butter, 150 g sugar, 4 eggs, 150 g flour, apricot jam, 150 g dark chocolate, food colouring.
- Bake three coloured thin sponges.
- Layer with jam, press and chill.
- Coat with chocolate and slice.
Tiramisu
If you’re looking for an authentic tiramisù recipe, you’ve come to the right place. This recipe is the original tiramisù recipe, according to the Italian Academy of Cuisine.
You need: 250 g mascarpone, 3 eggs, 70 g sugar, 200 ml strong coffee, 200 g ladyfingers, cocoa.
- Whisk yolks with sugar and mascarpone, fold in whipped whites.
- Dip ladyfingers in coffee.
- Layer, chill 6 hours and dust with cocoa.
Sourdough Maritozzi (Italian Sweet Buns)
These Sourdough Maritozzi are truly exquisite. They are made with a soft brioche bun and filled with luscious vanilla whipped cream. The brioche buns are easy to make using a sweet sourdough starter (levain).
After the buttery buns are baked, they are cut in half and filled with the delicate whipped cream. Finally, a dash of confectioner’s sugar is added to finish off this delicious treat.
You need: 400 g flour, 7 g yeast, 60 g sugar, 200 ml milk, 60 g butter, 1 egg, zest of 1 orange, whipped cream.
- Make a dough, rise 1 hour.
- Shape into buns and rise 40 min.
- Bake at 190°C for 18 min, split and fill with cream.
Lemon Ricotta Cake
The fine crumble and the fresh creamy ricotta filling make this lemon ricotta cake simply irresistible. It requires minimal preparation, only six ingredients, and no stand mixer.
The cake boasts a refreshing yet delicate flavor and texture. The outside is crispy and crumbly, while the inside is soft and filled with sweet ricotta, bright lemon zest, and juice.
You need: 250 g flour, 150 g sugar, 250 g ricotta, 3 eggs, 80 ml oil, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 lemons.
- Mix wet ingredients with zest.
- Fold in flour and baking powder.
- Bake at 175°C for 40 min.
Zeppole: Italian Doughnuts
This classic Zeppole recipe, also known as Italian bite-sized doughnuts, is a simple fried (or air-fried) dessert or morning treat usually made around Christmas and New Year or to celebrate special occasions.
They are made with a pizza or bread dough, softened with cooked russet potatoes, sweetened with black raisins and powdered sugar, and become deliciously crispy on the outside once (air) fried.
You need: 125 g flour, 250 ml water, 50 g butter, 3 eggs, oil, icing sugar.
- Make choux dough.
- Fry spoonfuls in oil at 170°C until puffed.
- Dust with icing sugar.
Italian Pistachio Cookies
These Italian Pistachio Cookies aren’t like other pistachio cookie recipes. They don’t use pudding mix or artificial ingredients. They’re crispy outside and chewy inside, and they’re naturally dairy and gluten-free.
They’re quick and easy to make, and because their main ingredient is whole pistachios, just one or two will satisfy your sweet tooth.
You need: 250 g ground pistachios, 150 g sugar, 2 egg whites, 1 tsp almond extract, whole pistachios.
- Mix nuts, sugar, whites and extract.
- Shape balls and press a pistachio on top.
- Bake at 170°C for 15 min.
Neapolitan Ricotta and Pasta Pie
Traditionally made for Easter, pastiera is a ricotta pie famous in different parts of Italy. However, it’s most famously a Neapolitan recipe. Like many Italian dishes, there are, of course, variations of pastiera Napoletana. The most well-known is made with cooked wheatberries, ricotta, and candied fruit baked in a pie crust.
You need: 1 pack shortcrust pastry, 250 g pasta, 250 g ricotta, 150 g salami, 150 g mozzarella, 3 eggs.
- Line a tin with pastry.
- Mix cooked pasta with the filling ingredients.
- Bake at 180°C for 40 min.
Limoncello Mascarpone Cake with Lemon Curd
Limoncello Mascarpone Cake with Lemon Curd is moist, light, and citrusy. The tender cake is lightly flavored with Limoncello and layered with a fluffy mascarpone cream frosting and sweet, tangy lemon curd.
You need: 3 layers lemon sponge, 250 g mascarpone, 200 ml cream, 3 tbsp limoncello, 200 g lemon curd.
- Whip mascarpone with cream and limoncello.
- Layer sponge, cream and curd.
- Chill 3 hours.
Amaretti Cookies
Homemade soft amaretti cookies – simple yet fancy. Only four ingredients for an elegant chewy, marzipan-like cookie!
You need: 250 g ground almonds, 200 g sugar, 2 egg whites, 1 tsp almond extract, icing sugar.
- Whisk whites and fold in almonds, sugar and extract.
- Roll balls in icing sugar.
- Bake at 160°C for 15 min.
Pizzelle Cookies
Pizzelle Cookies are a classic Italian tradition and they are super simple to make using a Pizzelle Iron and some common baking ingredients. Make these for Christmas, Easter, or any time you’re in the mood for a crisp, light, buttery Italian cookie.
You need: 200 g flour, 100 g sugar, 2 eggs, 80 g melted butter, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp vanilla.
- Mix batter.
- Cook small scoops in a pizzelle iron 40 seconds.
- Cool until crisp.
Delcious Chocolate Kahlua Tart
This Chocolate Kahlua tart! Not only does it look like it’s right out of a glossy magazine, but it tastes like a million dollars too!
Get the Recipe: Delcious Chocolate Kahlua Tart
Rustic Pear Galette
Even for those just starting out in the kitchen, this pear galette offers a straightforward yet stunning dessert option that suits any season. Whip up a treat that’s not just delicious but also ready for its close-up on Instagram.
Get the Recipe: Rustic Pear Galette
