Gourmet Dessert Recipes

Tiramisu-flavored cheesecake combines the flavors and richness of tiramisu and NY Cheesecake. Just before serving, grate some semisweet chocolate on the top.

A citrus cheesecake with a shortbread crust. It takes a long time of preparation but it is well worth the wait. If you can't find a vanilla bean, substitute 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract for each 1 inch piece of bean. You can top with any of your favorite fruits or toppings, or eat it plain. Summertime fresh fruits are nice, or chocolate lovers can spread on a layer of fudge topping.

This has a pinch of chile pepper as the secret ingredient. It's firm yet unbelievably light and airy. The little bit of chile pepper is in there just to bring out the flavor of the chocolate and add a tiny bit of delicious heat. Garnish each serving with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of shaved chocolate.

Also sometimes called 'Mexican wedding cookie', 'Russian tea cakes', or 'butterballs', can also be made into crescents. You can also substitute pecans and they are very good as well. This is the best version of these I have ever seen, it was given me by a friend who grew up in central Europe.

A favorite Palestinian dessert! Crunchy shredded phyllo dough is baked with a layer of creamy sweet cheese and then drenched in rosewater syrup. It's simple yet impressive. The cheese filling is traditionally made from Nabulsi cheese that is desalted. The ricotta-mozzarella mix is a great substitute, and lower-fat products can be used. If you have access to a Middle Eastern grocery, you can probably find kanafa dye, which turns the dough into the orange or reddish color that is the signature of kanafa.

A microwavable form of the Japanese dessert made with sweet rice flour. More varied and interesting flavors are available as well.

Sponge cake cookie--in shell shaped molds.

This is a recipe that my mom got from a coworker and would make regularly when I was young. Galaktoboureko is a traditional Greek dessert made with a custard in a crispy phyllo pastry shell. After all these years it is still a family favorite. I hope that everyone enjoys it as much as we do.

My mother used to cook this for us all, usually to go with Sunday dinner. I was hooked. Haven't had it in ages and I was wanting to bake something special for a special someone so I asked mum for the recipe. Tried it out today, and it's just as I remember. The thing that makes it for me is the frangipane. Hope you like it as much as me.

Very moist cake, often found at Greek food festivals.

Very easy to make Chinese style Egg Tart, you can put the leftovers in the refrigerator for later use for up to 3 days. You can reduce the sugar used on the crust and the filling to fit your taste, this recipe is lightly sweetened. If you want to you, can add more sugar to the filling. Hope you enjoy it!

This moist cake is a perfect winter dessert when pears are in season. Change it up for other seasons using raspberries, peaches, or apples instead of the pears. Optional garnish: sift confectioners' sugar on top and/or serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Soft and chewy Japanese dessert. A tradition of boy's or girl's day. Great for a snack for picnics or parties. This recipe is easy to make, but do not try cheating and double it. The directions should be followed exactly.

I got this recipe from my grandmother who got it from her grandmother. She had to translate it and then figure out measurements. The original recipe called for "enough flour to make a dough". Thankfully grandma knew what kind of dough.

Authentic French Meringues from a patisserie in France.

They are pleasantly sweet, made with almond paste and pine nuts, but no flour.

This is a very flavorful Indian rice pudding. It's the best rice pudding I've ever had, and very easy to make!

This rich, delicious, and luxurious dessert is a great comfort food on a cold winter's night.

This recipe was given to me by my Italian mother-in-law. It is the type of crustless cheesecake that is sold in Italian bakeries in New York. I usually make it with whole-milk ricotta which is creamier than low fat. This is not a diet item! You can add fresh fruit topping if you desire.

Australian dessert with a meringue base, topped with fresh cream and fruit. This is a recipe that I have experimented with and all my friends and family say it's the best pavlova they've ever tasted!

A delicious cake filled and topped with apples and cinnamon.

Delicious fried cookies made with ricotta cheese. These are also known as Italian doughnuts.

A very dark, rich chocolate cookie for the true chocoholic. This recipe uses relatively little flour, resulting in dense, fudge-like cookies. These cookies keep well in the freezer (but you may have a hard time waiting for them to thaw before you eat them).

This is a deliciously light, creamy, sophisticated little dessert from days gone by. I first tasted it at a supper given by a lecturer in seventeenth-century literature when I was at college, and it took our tastebuds right back to the Restoration. It can be prepared as either a parfait or a punch--please note that either version contains alcohol, so you may not want to serve this to younger family members.