When you think of Italian cuisine, it’s probably a hearty entrée that first pops into mind. Maybe it’s a steaming plate of vegetable lasagna or tender, delectable veal parmigiana. Of course there’s nothing wrong with that – these and other Italian main dish mainstays are popular for a reason: they taste great. Unfortunately, Italy’s storied dessert tradition is occasionally overlooked by the rest of the world.
Take the time to think about it and you’ll likely be able to list numerous Italian dessert favorites. There’s the Piedmontese set dessert with fruit accents known as panna cotta. Who could resist a tube-shaped shell of fried dough stuffed to overflowing with creamy ricotta, vanilla and other flavorings (cannoli)? Perhaps best of all, Italian biscotti recipes are the envy of the Western world. Who would have thought a twice-baked cookie could taste so divine?