any dessert ideas for an italian dinner?

Question

so far i'm making...
...baked brie with bread
...chicken "cutlet" with a parmesan crust
..."fried" parmesan balls
...a vegetable (probably broccoli or something)

and i need a dessert that would nicely compliment that...i like chocolate, and not particularly tiramisu, or creme brulee, or cheesecake...so hopefully a chocolaty thing? thanks~

Answer 1

panna cotta
PANNA COTTA
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
2-1/3 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons amaretto or almond-flavored liqueur
--------------------
BLUEBERRY SAUCE
2 cups frozen blueberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
--------------------
Fresh lemon thyme, for garnish

Directions:

1. Make Panna Cotta: Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small saucepan; let
stand 3 minutes to soften. Heat gelatin over medium heat, stirring, until
dissolved. Stir in milk and sugar; heat just until milk is hot and sugar is
dissolved. Add liqueur and pour mixture into six 6-ounce custard cups or
disposable plastic cups. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or
overnight.
2. Make Blueberry Sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients except vanilla in a
medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, and boil 2 to 3 minutes, until
thickened. Stir in vanilla; transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate at
least 8 hours or overnight.
3. Divide blueberry sauce among 6 stemmed cocktail glasses or dessert
dishes. Run a small knife around edge of each panna cotta; unmold onto
sauce. Garnish with lemon thyme, if desired.


Chocolate Pot De Creme

8 oz semi-sweet chocolate bits
5 tbls cold water
1 tbls instant coffee
3 large eggs
2 tbls light rum
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbs sugar
2 tsp ground almonds
2 tsp coffer liqueur

In the top of a double boiler, heat chocolate bits over
simmering water just until melted.
Stir in cold water and instant coffee.
Separate eggs, placing whites in a bowl; let them warm
to room temperature.
Stir eggs yolks into the melted choclate mixture;
then beat in rum and allow mixture to cool slightly.
Beat eggs whites with electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Fold whites into choclate mixture.
Pour into six cups with lids.
Refrigerate 24 hours.

Just before serving:
In small bowl with mixer whip the cream until thick.
Add sugar, ground almonds and coffee liqueur.
Beat until cream holds its shape;
spoon into serving bowl.
Serve with pot de creme.
Serves 6


Chocolate Mint Mousse
* 8 oz semisweet chocolate
* 4 egg yolks
* 1/3 c granulated sugar
* 1/3 c white crème de menthe
* 1 1/2 t unflavored gelatin (1/2 package)
* 2 c heavy cream
* Fresh mint sprigs for garnish (optional)
Chop the chocolate into small pieces and put into a bowl. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 inches of water to a simmer. Remove pan from heat.Set the bowl of chocolate over the hot water, stirring frequently until just melted. Remove bowl from hot water. Cool.

Bring the water in the saucepan back to a simmer. In a large bowl or in the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the egg yolks, sugar, and creme de menthe. Set bowl over simmering water and whisk
constantly until egg mixture is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

Remove bowl from hot water. With mixer on medium speed, whisk the egg mixture until light and cool, about 4 minutes. In a small saucepan, bring about 1 inch of water to a simmer. Put 1/4 cup of water in a small bowl, sprinkle with gelatin, and let stand until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove pan of simmering water from heat and set bowl of softened gelatin in hot water until gelatin has melted, about 2 minutes.

Whip cream to soft peaks. Whisk gelatin into cool egg mixture, and then divide egg-gelatin mixture evenly between two bowls. Fold 1/2 of the whipped cream into one of the bowls. Stir melted chocolate into second bowl and then fold in remaining whipped cream.

To layer the mousse, divide 1/2 of the Chocolate Mint Mouse between six individual goblets. Spoon all of the mint mousse on top. Make a final layer using the remaining Chocolate Mint Mousse. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.

Recipe can be prepared and refrigerated 1 day ahead.


6 Servings



Chocolate-Strawberry Panini

Recipe By :Giada De Laurentiis
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Desserts

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/4 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread
= (Nutella recommended)
12 slices pound cake, 1/2" thick
= (from a 10.75-oz loaf)
6 fresh strawberries -- hulled, and
thinly sliced
Butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray

Heat a panini grill to medium according to the manufacturer's
instructions. Spread the chocolate-hazelnut spread over 1 side of
all of the pound cake slices. Arrange the sliced strawberries over 6
cake slices. Cover with the remaining cake slices, chocolate-side
down.

Spray panini grill with nonstick spray and grill each panino until
the pound cake is crisp and golden and the fillings are warm, about 2
minutes. Cut each panino in half and serve.

This recipe yields 6 servings.


SICILIAN CANNOLI

True Sicilian cannoli are made using fresh sheep's-milk ricotta. We've
substituted a combination of fresh cow's-milk ricotta and goat cheese. If you
don't like goat cheese, use additional ricotta instead.

For cannoli shells
1 cup all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 lb cold lard
2 tablespoons sweet Marsala wine
1 large egg, separated
About 3 cups vegetable oil
For filling
1 lb fresh ricotta (2 cups)
2 oz soft mild goat cheese
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon minced candied orange peel
1/2 teaspoon orange-flower water (also called orange-blossom water)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup shelled unsalted pistachios (not dyed red), chopped
2 oz bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped (1/2 cup)
Special equipment: a pasta maker; a 4- to 4 1/4-inch round cookie cutter; a
deep-fat thermometer; 6 (roughly 5 5/8- by 5/8-inch) metal cannoli tubes; 2
heavy-duty oven mitts; a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch plain tip
Garnish: confectioners sugar

Make dough for shells:
Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Add 2
tablespoons lard and blend in with your fingertips until combined. Add wine and
yolk and stir until a dough forms.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and
elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Form dough into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic
wrap, then let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
Make filling while dough stands:
Beat together ricotta, goat cheese, confectioners sugar, orange peel,
orange-flower water, and cinnamon in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium
speed 1 minute (do not overbeat). Fold in nuts and chocolate until combined and
chill.
Make shells:
Set smooth rollers of pasta maker at widest setting. Unwrap dough and cut in
half, then lightly flour 1 piece (keep remaining half covered with plastic
wrap). Flatten floured dough into an oval and feed through rollers. Turn dial
down 2 notches and feed dough through rollers again. Continue to feed dough
through rollers, making space between rollers narrower by 2 notches each time,
until narrowest setting is used.
Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Transfer rolled dough to a lightly
floured surface and cut out 4 or 5 rounds with floured cutter. Transfer rounds
to baking sheet and keep covered with more plastic wrap. Roll out remaining
dough and cut rounds in same manner. Gather scraps and let stand 10 minutes.
Roll out scraps and cut in same manner.
Heat remaining lard with 1 1/4 inches oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderate
heat until it registers 350°F on thermometer.
Meanwhile, lightly oil cannoli tubes. Lightly beat egg white, then brush bottom
edge of 1 dough round with egg white. Wrap dough around a tube, overlapping ends
(egg-white edge should go on top), then press edges together to seal. Make 5
more shells in same manner (keep remaining rounds covered with plastic).
Fry dough on tubes 1 at a time, turning with metal tongs, until 1 shade darker,
about 45 seconds. Wearing oven mitts, clamp end of hot tubes, 1 at a time, with
tongs and, holding tube vertically, allow shell to slide off tube onto paper
towels, gently shaking tube and wiggling shell as needed to loosen. (If you
allow shell to cool it will stick to tube and shatter when you try to remove
it.) Transfer shells to paper towels to drain and cool tubes before reusing.
Wrap remaining dough around tubes and fry in same manner.
Spoon filling into pastry bag and pipe some into 1 end of a cannoli shell,
filling shell halfway, then pipe into other end. Repeat with remaining shells.
Cooks' notes:
• Dough can be made 1 day before frying shells and chilled. Let dough stand at
room temperature 1 hour before rolling.
• Shells can be fried 2 days ahead and cooled completely, then kept, layered
between paper towels, in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes about 10 desserts.
Gourmet
Menus
May 2005

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Sides to go with your fettucine Alfredo with chicken & meatballs: Greens in an Italian tomato sauce - could be spinach, could be other greens. Grilled zucchini and peppers with pignoli (pine nuts) Salad, but that's so cliche, I wouldn't serve it as the only side. Garlic bread - also cliche for Italian meals, but who would ever not want it? Italian ices for dessert - homemade, watermelon or pineapple flavored

Answer 4

Cannoli is always a winner. You can even add chocolate to the filling (I've had it that way). I have also had a nice pear and mascarpone pie at a high end Italian restaurant, but I don't know recipe...

Answer 5

I think a sophisticated approach to desert is a dark chocoloate with a deep red wine. (Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.)

Another approach would be: fresh raspberries, and a dark chocolate ganache drizzled over the berries. (Yahoo search for ganache recipes, they are quite easy) Add a spoonful of creme fraiche with vanilla, and sugar. This is good with coffee, or red wine again.

Answer 6

Chocolate melting cakes. they are delicious and go great with italian food. just add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to the side

Answer 7

Cannoli

Answer 8

I would suggest spumoni, which is a form of very rich ice cream. We've made it at home, though not for a long time. It's *very* good!

Answer 9

hey... check out http://sumiram2006.googlepages.com/dessert
It has recipes for quite a few tasty cakes and desserts that can be prepared easily from home ..

Answer 10

after a heavy meal, go simple: gelato/sorbet

you can serve choco/hazelnut gelato with some Italian cookies

other great flavs: choc/amaretto, dark choc mocha...

Answer 11

well chocolate isnt used THAT much in italy, and if it is there is usually rum in it, so you could probably look up a chocolate rum cake, if you like rum.

but my favorite dessert is a cannoli (sp?) idk how to make it tho. and i also love spumoni, which is like neopolitan ice cream, except its pistachio, cherry and i think vanilla ice cream. its delicious, and i dont even like pistachio ice cream lol