Italian Dessert Recipes - Gino D'Acampo Official Website (2024)

Crostata alle ciliegie e liquore d’amarettoCHERRY AND AMARETTO TART

Cherry and amaretto is a match made in heaven – this delicious tart is all the proof you need. The hardest part of this recipe is transferring the pastry into the tart case. I find that rolling the pastry directly onto floured cling film helps. Simply roll the pastry around the rolling pin with the cling film in place and roll it over the case with the cling film facing upwards, and then peel off...

Extracted from Gino's Italian Adriatic Escape by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 18th October 2018. Photography credit – Dan Jones’

Gelato al pistacchio e ciliege al MaraschinoPISTACHIO & MARASCHINO CHERRY ICE CREAM

Known locally as ‘green gold’, the pistachios grown in Sicily are among the best in the world and the island is the only place in Italy where they are cultivated. Introduced by the Arabs in the 10th century, pistachio trees flourish at the foot of Mount Etna, mainly in Bronte, in eastern Sicily. The island is also known for its superb ice cream, so for this recipe I decided to combine the flavours...

‘Extracted from Gino's Islands in the Sun by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 29th October 2015. Photography credit – Matt Russell

Panna cotta con Amaretto e caffè espressoESPRESSO + AMARETTO PANNA COTTA

I can’t write an Italian cookbook without at least one of the classic desserts in it, but of course, I always make them different; I need to create new concoctions to give you a vast choice throughout all my books. Sometimes new recipes don’t work, but this one was a huge success in my opinion, as I love coffee! You can substitute the Amaretto with an Irish cream liqueur if you prefer. These little...

‘Extracted from Gino's Italy: Like Mamma Used to Make by Gino D’Acampo (published by Bloomsbury Publishing) on 15th September 2022. Photography credit – Haarala Hamilton

Biscotti alla FiorentinaFLORENTINE BISCUITS

These remind me of Christmas. We have them in Italy all year round, but my Nonna Flora always had them on a little plate covered with a net, in the centre of her coffee table, for everyone and anyone to come in and help themselves during the festive season. I remember as a kid licking off the chocolate but not being too bothered about the dried fruit biscuit, which is funny, as nowadays I think the...

Extracted from Gino's Italy: Like Mamma Used to Make by Gino D’Acampo (published by Bloomsbury Publishing) on 15th September 2022. Photography credit – Haarala Hamilton

TIRAMISÙ AL LIMONE E LIMONCELLOLEMON TIRAMISÙ WITH LIMONCELLO

Liguria is famous for its lemons, and I made this lovely light version of tiramisù for my friends Lise and Bartolo, who own a vineyard in the hills near the Cinque Terre town of Vernazza. I used lemons harvested from their back garden and their homemade limoncello, which was superb. This dessert really tastes ofTerre town of Vernazza.

Extracted from Gino’s Italian Express by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 31st October 2019. Photography credit – Dan Jones

Meringa con Frutta Fresca e NocciolineFRESH FRUIT HAZELNUT PAVLOVA

Fresh fruit pavlova is ultimately versatile. You can use seasonal fruits and be as creative as you like. I have added hazelnuts to this meringue to give it more texture, but, of course, if you are allergic to nuts, or prefer a traditional pavlova, just eliminate them. Be really gentle when putting the cream on top, but don’t panic if it all breaks, you can just make an Eton Mess instead!

Extracted from Gino’s Italian Family Adventure by Gino D’Acampo (published by Bloomsbury Publishing) on 28th October 2021. Photography credit – Haarala Hamilton

SORBETTO CON MANGO E VODKAMANGO AND VODKA SORBET

Sorbets have to be one of the easiest recipes to make. You take your chosen fruit – I have used mango in this recipe, but pineapple and mixed berries are also great – blitz in a food processor with the other ingredients and freeze. All done in five minutes. It is a fantastic dessert if you are trying to be healthy, and no one will even notice. It has a really refreshing flavour, which is great...

Place all the ingredients in a food processor with 300ml cold water and blitz until you create a thick creamy texture. You may have to manually stir it a couple of times to release any mango chunks from the blades.Pour into a plastic freezable container, put the lid on top and freeze for 4 hours. If leaving the sorbet in the freezer for a few days, always take it out for 10 minutes before serving.When ready to serve, scoop into bowls and enjoy.

Extracted from Gino’s Italian Family Adventure by Gino D’Acampo (published by Bloomsbury Publishing) on 28th October 2021. Photography credit – Haarala Hamilton

DELIZIA AL LIMONEDELICIOUS LEMON CREAM CAKE

Close your eyes and this cake will transport you to Sorrento, where the famous lemons feature in anything and everything. I first tried this as a young boy with my mother; we had visited Pompeii (definitelya must-see if you can), then travelled on to Sorrento for some lunch.We passed an amazing bakery and she bought this cake to bring home for my dad, sister, nonna and nonno. It’s the best memory...

Close your eyes and this cake will transport you to Sorrento, where the famous lemons feature in anything and everything. I first tried this as a young boy with my mother; we had visited Pompeii (definitelya must-see if you can), then travelled on to Sorrento for some lunch.We passed an amazing bakery and she bought this cake to bring home for my dad, sister, nonna and nonno. It’s the best memory I have with them all, so I love making this cake and telling my family and friends all about that amazing day. If you don’t like pistachios or cannot have nuts, decorate this with lemon zest instead.

Extracted from Gino's Italy: Like Mamma Used to Make by Gino D’Acampo (published by Bloomsbury Publishing) on 15th September 2022. Photography credit – Haarala Hamilton

DOLCE DI PANETTONE E MIELE CON FRUTTA GRIGLIATA E RICOTTAPANETTONE AND HONEY PUDDING WITH CHARGRILLED FRUITS AND RICOTTA

This is my Italian version of bread and butter pudding, served with chargrilled fruits and sweetened ricotta cheese. In Italy the ricotta is very creamy and rich, and I just added honey to sweeten it, but in Britain you might like to add a few drops of vanilla extract to give depth of flavour.

Extracted from Gino's Italian Adriatic Escape: A taste of Italy from Veneto to Puglia by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 18th October 2018. Photography credit – Dan Jones, Holly Bryson & Trevor Butterfield

Extracted from Gino's Italian Adriatic Escape: A taste of Italy from Veneto to Puglia by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 18th October 2018. Photography credit – Dan Jones, Holly Bryson & Trevor Butterfield

GELATO CON GOCCE DI CIOCCOLATO E MENTA FRESCAFRESH MINT AND CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM

When I was a child I always gravitated towards mint choc chip. Now when I taste this flavour I am often disappointed by the artificial toothpaste-like flavour of the mint. I wanted to make a fresh-tasting ice cream that reminded me of my childhood, so the colours and flavours in this recipe are completely natural. Only use the leaves of the mint. The ice cream will become very fibrous if the stalks...

Extracted from Gino's Italian Adriatic Escape: A taste of Italy from Veneto to Puglia by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 18th October 2018. Photography credit – Dan Jones, Holly Bryson & Trevor Butterfield

Extracted from Gino's Italian Adriatic Escape: A taste of Italy from Veneto to Puglia by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 18th October 2018. Photography credit – Dan Jones, Holly Bryson & Trevor Butterfield

SORBETTO ALL’APEROL ED ARANCIA ROSSAAPEROL AND BLOOD ORANGE SORBET

The Aperol Spritz, sometimes called the Spritz Veneziano, is a refreshing orange co*cktail made from Aperol and prosecco. It’s extremely popular across Italy, particularly in Venice, and is fast becoming a drink of choice in Britain, too. So what better way to do it justice than to make it into a beautiful sorbet to enjoy on a hot summer’s day? For an added twist, place a scoop of sorbet into a...

Extracted from Gino's Italian Adriatic Escape: A taste of Italy from Veneto to Puglia by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 18th October 2018. Photography credit – Dan Jones, Holly Bryson & Trevor Butterfield

Extracted from Gino's Italian Adriatic Escape: A taste of Italy from Veneto to Puglia by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 18th October 2018. Photography credit – Dan Jones, Holly Bryson & Trevor Butterfield

SOUFFLÉ AL CIOCCOLATO CON COULIS DI LAMPONISUPER-EASY CHOCOLATE SOUFFLÉS WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

Yes it’s a soufflé recipe, but please don’t panic! These aren’t like any other soufflés – they’re super easy to make and you really can’t go wrong. The quantities given here are for quite large soufflés, as I love them so much, but if you’re serving them at the end of a large meal, you might prefer to make them in slightly smaller ramekins (around 250ml/300ml capacity), in which case...

Extracted from Gino's Italian Express by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 31st October 2019. Photography credit – Dan Jones

Extracted from Gino's Italian Express by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 31st October 2019. Photography credit – Dan Jones

CHEESECAKE A FREDDO ALLA CREMA DI CIOCCOLATO E NOCCIOLINENO-BAKE CHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUT CHEESECAKE

This chocolate cheesecake is extremely easy to prepare, yet looks so impressive. I got my inspiration for the recipe when visiting the town of La Morra, near Cuneo, in Piedmont. I met a doctor called Roberto, who travels on horseback to visit his patients in their homes. After a long day of horse-riding, he told me that the area was famous for its hazelnut trees, so I decided to include hazelnuts in...

Extracted from Gino's Italian Express by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 31st October 2019. Photography credit – Dan Jones

Extracted from Gino's Italian Express by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 31st October 2019. Photography credit – Dan Jones

GEL ATO VELOCE CON LIMONCELLO E FRUTTI DI BOSCOQUICK LIMONCELLO ICE CREAM WITH MIXED BERRIES

The digestivo limoncello, made from lemons, has been produced in Italy for centuries, particularly in the south, where the winters are milder. This limoncello and berry ice cream is the quickest ice cream you’re ever likely to make. You can use any kind of frozen berries; I usually use cherries, strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants. If you prefer, you can use freshly squeezed lemon juice or...

Extracted from Gino's Italian Express by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 31st October 2019. Photography credit – Dan Jones

Extracted from Gino's Italian Express by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 31st October 2019. Photography credit – Dan Jones

TIRAMISÙ CON AMARETTOTIRAMISÙ WITH AMARETTO

Tiramisù (which translates as ‘pick me up’) is a modern version of a dessert first created in Tuscany, where it was known in the 19th century as ‘zuppa inglese’ (English soup), because of the popularity of the dessert among the English living in the region. The original dessert had a custard base, but this was later replaced with mascarpone. There are often variations in the liqueur used....

Extracted from Gino's Italian Coastal Escape: A Taste of Italy from the Aeolian Islands to Elba by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 19th October 2017. Photography credit – Dan Jones and Matt Russell

Extracted from Gino's Italian Coastal Escape: A Taste of Italy from the Aeolian Islands to Elba by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 19th October 2017. Photography credit – Dan Jones and Matt Russell

SORBETTO ALLE MOREBLACKBERRY SORBET

Blackberry sorbet is always my flavour of choice and brings back memories of foraging with friends when I was a little boy. We’d pick and eat our way through the bushes, and our purple-stained mouths and fingers were always a huge source of amusem*nt – until my mum scrubbed me clean later that evening, practically scraping off the top layer of my skin in the process! This sorbet is perfect served...

Extracted from Gino's Italian Coastal Escape: A Taste of Italy from the Aeolian Islands to Elba by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 19th October 2017. Photography credit – Dan Jones and Matt Russell

Extracted from Gino's Italian Coastal Escape: A Taste of Italy from the Aeolian Islands to Elba by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 19th October 2017. Photography credit – Dan Jones and Matt Russell

MUSSE DELIZIOSA DI CIOCCOLATO FONDENTE E FRUTTI DI BOSCODARK, DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE MOUSSE WITH SUMMER FRUITS

Some of the best chocolate in Italy comes from the northern city of Turin, the capital of Piedmont, where chocolate-making has been established since the late 18th century. At this time, Italy exported their chocolate to France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland; indeed, it was the famous Turinbased firm Caffarel that inspired the Swiss to start making chocolate on a commercial scale. Rich chocolate...

Extracted from Gino's Hidden Italy : How to Cook Like a True Italian by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 6th October 2016. Photography credit – Matt Russell, Hal Shinnie and Dan Jones

Extracted from Gino's Hidden Italy : How to Cook Like a True Italian by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 6th October 2016. Photography credit – Matt Russell, Hal Shinnie and Dan Jones

SEMIFREDDO ALLA NUTELLA CON CIOCCOLATO FONDENTE CALDOCHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUT SEMI-FREDDO WITH HOT CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Italy is the world’s second largest producer of hazelnuts after Turkey, and Piedmont – home of Nutella (see page 208) – is the main hazelnut-growing area in Italy. Like the Piedmontese, I love the combination of hazelnuts and chocolate so have created this semi-frozen dessert for you. It has a soft, velvety texture and – unlike ice cream – semi-freddo (meaning ‘half cold’) never freezes...

Extracted from Gino's Hidden Italy : How to Cook Like a True Italian by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 6th October 2016. Photography credit – Matt Russell, Hal Shinnie and Dan Jones

Extracted from Gino's Hidden Italy : How to Cook Like a True Italian by Gino D’Acampo (published by Hodder & Stoughton) on 6th October 2016. Photography credit – Matt Russell, Hal Shinnie and Dan Jones