Vanilla

If your strawberries are sweet, you won’t need as much sugar—use an amount at the lower end of our range in step 5.

Pasta frolla (Italian for “short pastry”) is the basic pastry dough of Italy. Our recipe yields enough dough for 2 crostata (you’ll need to double the pumpkin and ricotta filling).

For individual bread puddings, divide the mixture among eight buttered 6-ounce ramekins; reduce the cooking time to 40 minutes.

To produce the delightful hard surface that crackles when tapped with a spoon, you will need to brown the sugared tops with a small kitchen blowtorch, available at most specialty stores.

Because there is no butter in the sponge cake, it will remain soft when frozen in the Lemon Semifreddo Cake.

In Italian gelato shops, stracciatella describes an ice cream that has chocolate mixed into it—as our recipe does.

Bosc pears must be very ripe; Anjou, which are juicier, can be slightly firm. Avoid enamel baking dishes, as they cause the syrup to burn.

For the creamiest results, allow the mascarpone to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Whether you serve these pancakes for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner, they’ll soon become a family favorite.

This dessert captures all the smells and tastes of fall. Similar to its cousin, pineapple upside-down cake, it is easily prepared in a cast-iron skillet, then turned out on a plate along with its syrup. Sweet potatoes serve as a binder and sweetener in this cake. Serve it with a dollop of tangy crème fraîche or a little warm caramel sauce.