Hazelnut

Gianduia, the classic Italian combination of hazelnuts and chocolate, is never more appropriate than in fall, when the hazelnuts are harvested throughout Piedmont. Here the mixture is showcased in a soft, simple pudding, spiked with hazelnut liqueur and sprinkled with toasted hazelnuts.

Mary Risley, the director of Tante Marie's Cooking School, says, "I come from a family of Connecticut Yankees, and when I was growing up, I spent every Thanksgiving at my grandparents' eighteenth-century home, which was right across from a turkey farm. I’m not quite sure how, but something in that experience inspired this recipe. (Maybe the ingredients reflect what a turkey would like to eat, if asked.)"

To save time, simply skip the topping.

Sandra Hersh of Groton, Massachusetts, writes: "A wonderful dinner with out-of-town friends at Mamma Maria, in the North End of Boston, was topped off with an outstanding chocolate hazelnut tart. It was a perfect finish to a great evening. I know the pastry chef would be happy to share the recipe." This impressive-looking tart is easy because the crust is pressed into the pan rather than rolled out. The pastry chef at Mamma Maria serves it with candied hazelnuts and a chocolate sauce.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 4 hr (includes chilling and freezing)

This decadent dessert is even better made a day ahead, so the flavors can mellow overnight in the refrigerator.

Make these individual desserts a day ahead.

"To celebrate my recent promotion, my sister treated me to dinner at Radius here in Boston," says Jill Thompson, Boston, Massachusetts. The dessert we shared was unforgettable—a hazelnut meringue concoction made by pastry chef Paul Connors. As we polished it off, my sister and I agreed that we had found the city’s best new restaurant." Each component can be made ahead.

This float was inspired by the Italian dessert affogato al caffé, which consists of ice cream that has been "drowned" in hot coffee. We added caramelized sugar to the coffee for extra depth and topped it all off with whipped cream, toasted nuts, and chocolate shavings. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 30 min

Serve these as an appetizer with a salad of baby greens.