Frozen Dessert

One of the most popular flavors in gelaterie in Italy is crema, a simple frozen custard unenhanced by any flavoring. It has a rich, yellow color due to the brightness of the yolks of Italian corn-fed chickens.

This recipe makes more ice cream than you'll need to fill the cones (see Coconut Tuile Cones with Passion-Fruit Ice Cream recipe), but it's so delicious you'll have no trouble getting rid of the leftovers. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 3 1/4 hr

Don't let the unexciting name of the recipe fool you—this ice cream is unusually good. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 4 hr

(Adapted from The Keeper's House)

All the wonderful flavors and textures of summer berry pie à la mode in an ice cream sundae. For a casual party, offer the individual components buffet style and let guests make their own.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 1/4 hr (includes chilling)

Mint chip ice cream (or the flavor of your choice) is the filling between tender chocolate cookies that have been dipped halfway into white chocolate.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 45 min

The malt flavor of Guinness stout marries well with the sugar and milk in this distinctive ice cream--inspired by a recipe from the files of the American Homebrewers Association--and the faintly bitter aftertaste cuts the sweetness.

This stunning sweet from Spago Beverly Hills can be assembled ahead of time, then baked at the last minute. Note that the dessert needs to be frozen at various points, so plan accordingly. When preparing the meringue disks, use a six-ounce tuna fish can as a template.

A delicious low-calorie fat-free dessert.

The reader who requested a recipe for buttermilk sherbet the way his mother used to make it was moved by more than nostalgia. This preparation is so light and so refreshing that it deserves a new vogue in the nineties.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires addtional sitting time. Carol's mom used a grater and superfine sugar when she made this recipe, but we liked the ease of grinding the zest with regular sugar in a food processor. Best of all, we never once skinned our knuckles.

To allow enough time for the soufflés to freeze, make them at least one day before serving.