5 Ingredients or Fewer

To produce the delightful hard surface that crackles when tapped with a spoon, you will need to brown the sugared tops with a small kitchen blowtorch, available at most specialty stores.

Use red-fleshed papayas, such as Sunrise Solo or Maradol. Be sure to ask your grocer which ones will have flesh with a rosy hue since a papaya’s skin and shape may not be a good indication of its interior color.

Extra sauce may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

You can substitute espresso in this recipe with 2 cups very strong brewed coffee, although the flavor will not be as intense.

The word affogato means “drowned” in Italian; affogato al caffè is the name of a popular dessert in which hot espresso is poured over gelato just before it is eaten. The bitterness of the espresso acts as a pleasant counterpoint to the sweet creaminess of the ice cream. Liqueur intensifies the overall flavor. If you prefer, substitute very strong brewed coffee for the espresso.

Fresh mangoes are loaded with vitamins A and C. Whisking the granita as it freezes ensures that it reaches the proper consistency.

This sorbet gets its intense purple hue from Concord grapes, which have a deep blue-black skin. The longer you process it in the ice-cream maker, the lighter and fluffier your final product will be. Sugar cones are ideal containers for serving the sorbet al fresco.

Look for the ripest melon you can find; it should have a sweet fragrance and a firm exterior that yields slightly at the stem end. Granita can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. We like to serve the granita over wedges of cantaloupe for added melon flavor.

Use the juice of these lemons for the mousse, and use some of the syrup for lemon sauce. Make this recipe a day before the mousse.

Each ball, made in two half-moon metal molds, can easily serve two people.

Serve these easy-to-prepare peaches with scoops of ice cream, and drizzle with pan juices.