Semifreddo agli Amaretti con Salsa al Caffè e Cacao (Italian Amaretti Semifreddo with Espresso and Dark Cocoa Sauce) A semifreddo is a frozen cream that never meets an ice cream machine. Whipped yolks, whipped cream and a night in the freezer lock air inside sugar, so the slice eats soft instead of icy. Crushed amaretti add bitter almond and a faint sandy grain, and a dark espresso and cocoa sauce, built to stay fluid on frozen cream, runs across it. Yield: 8 portions. Prep:

Mousse al Cioccolato (Italian Chocolate Mousse) Story of the Dish Mousse al Cioccolato is not uniquely Italian, but it has long been part of restaurant pastry throughout Italy. In an Italian approach, the ingredient list is usually kept short so the quality of the chocolate remains obvious rather than buried under excessive sugar or flavorings. The texture should be airy but not foamy, rich but not dense like ganache. That balance comes from creating a smooth chocolate base,

Torta Morbida agli Amaretti, Pere e Cioccolato Fondente (Italian Amaretti, Pear and Dark Chocolate Cake) A full cup of crushed amaretti goes into this batter before a single pear is peeled. The biscuits replace part of the flour and carry almond, sugar and dried egg white into a crumb that stays soft for days. Ripe pears keep it damp, and dark chocolate adds bitter pockets that stop the almond turning cloying. Yield: 10 slices from one 9 inch cake. Prep: 25 minutes. Bake: 50