Frozen Dessert

This dessert is an Italian takeoff on a classic French dish, Poire Belle-Hélène-poached pear with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Here the pear is teamed with a hazelnut-orange_semifreddo_ (a sweet Italian frozen mousse) and a Frangelico chocolate sauce. For smaller appetites, cut the semifreddo into eight portions and the pears in half.

In this recipe, the elderflower concentrate gives the ice cream a delicate, fruity flavor, but 1 teaspoon vanilla stirred into 1/4 cup additional milk makes a delicious substitute.

We particularly like this dessert made with coffee ice cream, but youcan use any flavor that goes well with chocolate and peanuts. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 1/4 hr

"My favorite restaurant on the New Hampshire coast is Anthony Alberto’s Ristorante Italiano in Portsmouth," writes Holly Price of Newfields, New Hampshire. "The food there is superb. On a recent visit, I ended my meal with the frozen praline mousse cake."

A rainbow of four purchased sorbets plus vanilla ice cream make this beauty one of the easiest desserts ever. Prepare the stunning terrine up to four days ahead.

In Thailand, mangoes often appear on the table for dessert — served both on their own and incorporated into a sweetened sticky rice. If you can't get your hands on really good mangoes, you'll find that canned mango purée delivers the best flavor for this ice cream. However, many canned brands taste like peaches, so we recommend Ratna brand, which uses Alphonso mangoes, an Indian cultivar renowned for its bright orange flesh and very intense flavor. Ka-Me brand is a runner-up — the recipe will work fine, but the color and flavor will not be as intense. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 17 3/4 hr (includes chilling and freezing)

Crème fraîche gives this exceptional ice cream irresistible tang and a silky texture.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

At fenix restaurant in The Argyle hotel in Los Angeles, chef Ken Frank layers the ice cream with spice cake, then tops it with the rum-spiked bananas.

Begin making these frozen treats at least one day before serving.

Candida Sportiello writes: "As owner and chef of Il Giardino restaurant, on the tiny island of Ventotene off the coast of Naples, I've been cooking professionally for twenty-five years — but I've been cooking for pleasure for a good fifty years. As is the Italian way, most of my favorite recipes were handed down from my mother and grandmother, so they date from the early 1900s." This rich dessert is called a semifreddo ("half frozen") in Italian.

The sorbet can be processed in an ice cream maker or simply frozen in a shallow container (a 13x9-inch metal or glass baking pan works best).

A decadent, impressive dessert that appeals to everyone's inner Boy Scout or Girl Scout. Begin preparing this dish a day ahead.