Quick Italian Desserts

Quick Italian desserts are just the thing to enjoy while chatting over a cup of strong fresh Italian coffee, a glass or vino, or after a delicious Italian meal.

All of these authentic Italian desserts are quick and simple to prepare, yet they will delight your senses and the palates of your family, friends and guests. So they're tasty, but that's what you'd expect from any Italian dishes, particularly an Italian desert. Sorry, I mean dessert.

Now, mama didn't have a sweet tooth but she had plenty of family members who did - especially when it came to traditional Italian desserts.

And, as for cooking main meals - her hearty minestrone soup, pasta dishes, rich meat delights - were mama's forté. She liked her desserts to be as simple to make as possible.  

Luckily, mama had a good teacher for these sweet delights - her Aunt Razia, her father's sister, whose forté was making authentic Italian desserts.

In fact, unlike most Italians, my Aunt Razia was not the greatest cook of the main fare but her desserts and Italian cakes were to die for. They were so mouth-wateringly scrumptious.

It's just as well we had Aunt Razia, and also my mum's sister, Aunty Mary, to guide mama in the art of whipping up traditional Italian desserts. But once mum got the hang of a dish, she made it hers.

• Ricotta Tarts
  
  These Ricotta Tarts can be whipped up in almost no time at all, yet your guests will be clamouring for more. Even a child can make them. I did.
• Tiramisu
  
  Tiramisu is another authentic Italian dessert that most of us find wickedly irresistable.
• Zabaglione
  
  Zabaglione is one of the most popular Italian desserts, yet it is a snap to make, once you know its simple ingredients and the secret to combine them correctly.