Frozen Dessert

Two ultimate comfort foods — ice cream and hot fudge — team up in an exceptional all-American dessert. (And, yes, the hot fudge sauce gets chewy when it hits the ice cream.)

Move over, cranberry sauce! This sorbet is an alternate way of bringing that tangy flavor to the table.

Softer than most, this version of the flavored dessert ice is spooned rather than scraped into dishes; they should be well chilled.

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

The good news here is that there will be leftover ice cream to enjoy at another time.

Juicy peaches, crushed cookies and vanilla ice cream spiked with brandy and amaretto add up to a perfect summer treat.

(GRANITA DI LAMPONE) Sicily's Arab conquerors were on to something when they chilled sarbat (sweet fruit syrups) with snow from Mount Etna. The evolution from chilled syrup to frozen syrup-granita-was only a matter of time. Granita is still very popular in Sicily, where the most common kinds are coffee and lemon. But it is also enjoyed throughout Italy in a host of other flavors. A big plus to this refreshing ice is that it is prepared without an ice cream maker.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This torte consists of three flavors of ice cream or frozen yogurt that are layered with Nutella, a creamy hazelnut-chocolate spread available in specialty foods stores and most supermarkets. (Look for it where the peanut butter is sold.) The Nutella freezes firmly on the ice cream, but is soft enough to cut through.

You would never guess that this dense and creamy dessert is nondairy and kosher for Passover. Since the recipe contains egg yolks, this is not a sorbet in the strict sense, but the yolks do provide a rich texture.

At the ever-popular Cafe Pasqual's in Santa Fe, chocolate and devilishly hot chile pequín flakes come together in an ice cream not soon forgotten. Our version is rich but almost austere compared to chef Katharine Kagel's original, the recipe for which appears in Cafe Pasqual's Cookbook.

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.