Frozen Dessert

Newly opened this year, the upscale but unfussy Maestro is a modern Italian restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner outside Washington, D.C. The open kitchen is the focal point of the room, but it doesn't have to be the center of attention — the cooks talk to one another through headsets, keeping the noise level down. The dining room's large windows offer a view of the nearby capital. An elegant rendition of tiramisù is the restaurant's signature dessert. Gelatin helps the creamy mascarpone filling set, making this classic dessert easy to cut and beautiful to serve. We've simplified the restaurant's recipe for home cooks.

Seedless watermelons are on the market these days, but I prefer the old-fashioned ones with big black seeds — easy to see and remove. Then proceed with the recipe.

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

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 10 min

These adorable sweets are festive, fun — and so easy to make. Just be sure to freeze the scoops of ice cream overnight before dipping and coating them.

Pineapples are grown all over Thailand and are commonly eaten freshly sliced at the end of a meal. We wanted a worthy finish to this complex meal, so we decided to put a slightly different spin on this classic ingredient. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 17 3/4 hr (includes chilling and freezing)

The leftover syrup from the lychees makes a delicious sweetener for iced tea. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 30 min

A pretty pink dessert that is refreshing and light. Plums with dark purple skin or flesh will give the sherbet beautiful color. Serve a pot of green tea alongside.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. "Goober"is a southern colloquialism for the peanut — and a great name for our ice cream sandwiches. Be sure to put these together before dinner so that they'll be frozen and ready to enjoy.

Chopped toffee candy gives orange-scented vanilla ice cream a surprise crunch in this easy and innovative dessert.

A fast and delectable dessert combining purchased toffee candy and two simple sauces loaded with rich flavor.

This luscious frozen dessert can be made without an ice cram maker. Begin preparing the recipe at least one day ahead.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Store-bought vanilla frozen yogurt acts as the luscious foil for oranges, pineapple, mango and bananas in a fat-free brown sugar-cinnamon sauce.

We discovered that store-bought mango sorbet and ice cream were so good we could do little to improve upon them. But most store-bought raspberry sorbet lacked the color, tang, and true berry flavor of homemade.