Cool and Creamy Desserts

Bruno Neveu — former pastry chef at the Ritz-Escoffier cooking school in Paris — helped us decipher Escoffier’s bare-bones recipe.

This custardy ice cream gets its tropical flavor from paw paws, a musky-sweet fruit native to the American Midwest that tastes somewhere between a banana and a mango, with a plush, creamy texture. Get the recipe for Paw Paw Ice Cream »

True miel de lavande, the honey from Provence produced by bees that feed primarily on lavender blossoms, imparts a creamy texture and distinctive flavor and scent to a simple ice cream. Get the recipe for Lavender Honey Ice Cream »

If you’re tired of wintery cakes and cookies by March, it might be time to break out the ice cream.

This sweet pudding-like dessert from Sickles Market in Little Silver, New Jersey, gained popularity in the United Kingdom during the 17th century. You can discard the solids after straining the berries, but we love eating them on top of it along with freshly whipped cream.

This delectable Italian specialty is cool, creamy, lightly nutty, and especially delicious when paired with our Chocolate Gelato.

Don’t let the appearance of these cream puffs intimidate you — this dessert is both fun and easy to make at home. Even though this is the classic recipe, let your imagination run wild and stuff these little puff dandies with coffee, chocolate, or peanut butter ice cream, if you like.
See the recipe for Pastry Puffs »

For added decadence, top this ultra-peanutty ice cream with chocolate sauce or hot fudge.

Oloroso sherry and cognac add a little zing to a classic whipped dessert–try adding a little raspberry purée or a few chopped white peaches. See the recipe for Syllabub »

There’s no denying the appeal of a classic banana split—ice cream, bananas, whipped cream, plenty of flavored syrups, and maraschino cherries.

Sprinkled on top of these delicate meringues—which float in a vanilla custard—are praline roses, caramel-coated almonds dyed a bright pink. The color’s a bit shocking, but they’re a staple of Lyonnaise pâtisseries and lend a nice crunch and color to this white-on-white backdrop. Get the recipe for Meringue Floating in Crème Anglaise »

This thick, tangy spread is great spooned on toast and as a filling for tarts and cakes. Get the recipe for Lemon Curd »

Maple syrup and a healthy dose of bourbon add a delectable kick to this grown-up take on a peanut butter milkshake, served at Seattle’s Skillet Diner.

Creamy, chocolaty, and with a touch of rum is how we would describe this popular dessert. The buttery chocolate-cookie crust used for this pie is our favorite of the options offered by Woman’s Day Encyclopedia of Cookery (Fawcett Publication, Inc. 1965). See the recipe for Black-Bottom Pie »

This classic dessert is moistened with the sweetened, wine-spiked cream known as syllabub. See the recipe for Raspberry Trifle »

True miel de lavande, the honey from Provence produced by bees that feed primarily on lavender blossoms, imparts a creamy texture and distinctive flavor and scent to a simple ice cream. Get the recipe for Lavender Honey Ice Cream »

Few desserts are as pretty and as easy to make as this meringue-and-fruit confection, named after Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova.

A crunchy crust and pudding-like filling make this pie a standout.

Sweetened whole milk flavored with crushed cardamom, saffron, and pistachio is frozen in molds to create these impressive, sculptural desserts.

Pepper, cloves and cinnamon give the bright strawberry sauce in this dessert a spicy kick, offsetting the rich creaminess of sweet cheese. Get the recipe for Coeur à la Crème with Caramelized Strawberries »

In this classic Swiss dessert, gelatin is used in a creamy custard that’s set between two layers of tart raspberry and strawberry cream.

These simple gelled fruit desserts made with rosé champagne are an elegant way to serve summer berries. Get the Raspberries in Pink Champagne Gelée »

This chocolate and espresso delight from David Lebovitz is a rich fudgy combination of favorite flavors that is surprisingly light and refreshing.

Serve this spiced ice cream on its own or scooped on top of warm fruit crisps, cobblers, or pies, particularly apple.

Custard, vanilla wafers, and bananas are layered and topped with whipped cream in our version of the classic Southern dessert. Get the recipe for Banana Pudding »

Peanut butter and confectioners’ sugar form a crumbly base for this pudding pie.

Layers of coconut sponge cake, raspberries, tapioca, and bourbon-stewed peaches in easily portable mason jars make this trifle perfect for summer picnics. The compote and the cake can be made up to two days ahead; store them in airtight containers in the fridge. Get the recipe for Peach-Raspberry Trifle »

This elegant ice cream recipe is a frozen riff on a pavlova. Get the recipe for Lemon Curd-Vanilla Swirl Ice Cream »

This recipe combines the silky flavor of corn with the tartness of black raspberries.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in Columbus, OH has some of the most amazing flavors around. In this recipe, the addition of roasted beets and poppy seeds lends the end product a festive hue and a bit of crunch. ‪

This Middle-Eastern-influenced tart heaps white chocolate-orange ganache accented with rose water into a pistachio shortbread crust. Pomegranate meringue shaped to form rose petals makes for a show-stopping finish.

This refreshing frozen treat, made from bottled or fresh mango juice, is a Mexican version of granita.

This simple yet sophisticated, airy yet intense concoction has been a hit with home cooks in America at least since the New York Times published its first recipe for the dessert in 1955. Get the recipe for Chocolate Mousse »

Sweetened with white chocolate only, this rich, Middle Eastern-inspired panna cotta gets its distinctive floral aroma from an infusion of blistered cardamom.

In this updated take on a classic French dessert, cream cheese adds stability and a pleasing tang, which balances the sweet white chocolate without overpowering it.

This recipe for a chocolate and banana layered shake is based on one in Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes (Norton, 2009) by Adam Ried. Get the recipe for Vanilla Banana Black & White Milkshake »

This recipe is based on one in Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes by Adam Ried.

This sweet-tart creamy dessert can be eaten chilled or frozen in ramekins. Get the recipe for Rhubarb Mousse »

This pretty pink strawberry dessert should be chilled before enjoying—make it a day ahead and freeze for an especially refreshing treat. Get the recipe for Strawberry Mousse »