Frozen Dessert

Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 9 hr

Vanilla ice cream surrounds a soft lemon-cream and raspberry-sorbet center.

We used 2 spoons to form the ice cream into the traditional egglike shape of a quenelle, which enables it to sit snugly in a curved tuile.

Because watermelons vary in size and shape, your yield from the following recipe may differ from ours. We began with a fourth of a large watermelon. When slicing the watermelon, aim for a minimum of four slices but be aware that you could have as many as six, depending on the configuration of your melon; a long, narrow watermelon will give more slices than a fatter, rounded one.

The twist to these sundaes is a simple ginger-flavored sauce sparked with lime. It can be made ahead and rewarmed before you assemble the sundaes.

A rich, decadent frozen dessert that can be made ahead for a party.

There are times when I am inspired to make a new dessert after eating something I’ve loved. But, there are also times when my inspiration comes from eating something I didn’t even like. In that case, the impetus shifts from "how can I do something as wonderful as this," to "how can I make this better?" This sweet corn ice cream came from the latter impulse. The original dessert, sampled in a small Mexican restaurant, sounded unusual and intriguing, but turned out to be riddled with distracting icy bits of corn kernels. Still, I love the corn, and was taken with the idea of doing my own, perfectly smooth and silky corn ice cream. This is the result. It is creamy-textured and luscious, with a subtle corn taste. Since the flavor of the ice cream is wholly dependent on the sweetness of the corn, make this ice cream with the freshest corn you can find.

Strawberry shortcake meets the ice cream sundae: what a match. The rich and easy-to-make Fudge Sauce called for here is also used in the Chocolate-Hazelnut Waffles.

Three very trendy ingredients — mango, lemongrass, and blood oranges — all come together in this unique dessert.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Sorbete de Zarzamora Berries are cultivated near the small colonial town of Valle de Bravo, outside Mexico City. Sorbets and ice creams are enormously popular throughout Mexico.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr (includes freezing)