Italian dessert ideas please

[multipoodles]

Italian wouldn't be my first choice for cooking but we have friends coming for dinner soon who don't like Indian, Chinese or Thai cooking so that's me pretty much stuck!

I think I can sort starter and main course, or at least have some fun researching but I haven't a clue for dessert other than tiramisu and panna cotta, any suggestions for a different dessert? Vegan would be good, but I will make anything for them (I'm the vegan and can eat something else)

:)

Zabaglione? But it doesn't tick the vegan box, and is crsp for. Dinner party as it takes you away from the table for ages. So I'm not sure why I suggested it :o

What about something you normally make, but with an Italian liqueur in it, so lemon tart becomes limoncello tart, for example?

zuppa inglese? ice creams ....
Italian cheeses with grapes and figs

Baked ricotta with Marsala strawberries. You can do it in advance, easy and different but delicious.

Torta della nonna?

Fresh Figs folded in mascarpone with a bit if wild honey and flaked almonds. Heavenly

Thanks folks I love the sound of baked ricotta and marsala strawberries cos I could be a bit lazy with that one :)

some sort of lemon tart...not sure that fits the vegan brief though

what's that nonsense with the icecream and the espresso in a cup?? A good vegan/soya icecream might work??

It is a v lazy option but has always gone down well - will post recipe later once DDs are in bed.

Sorry - hasn't actually taken me 5 days to get the DDs to bed. Hope this isn't too late:

Sunflower/other light oil for greasing
750g ricotta
100ml single cream
1.5tsp vanilla extract
2 medium eggs & 1 egg yolk
200g icing sugar, sieved
800g strawberries
100ml Marsala
150g caster sugar (although I think I used less than this in the end)

Preheat oven to 170C, line a 22x12x6cm (standard I think) loaf tin with foil and brush inside lightly with oil.

Beat ricotta and cream until smooth, beat in vanilla, eggs & egg yolk then work in icing sugar. Spoon into tin and smooth down, cover with foil.

Stand the loaf tin in a roasting tin and pour in hot water to come approx 2cm up the side of the tin. Bake for 1hr then remove foil and bake for a further 15-30 mins until just firm and golden. Leave to cool then chill until serving (turn out and slice to serve).

Hull and halve strawberries, mix with Marsala and caster sugar. Leave to macerate for anywhere from 30mins to 2hrs then serve with the ricotta.

I'm glad I've remembered this, think I will make for friends this weekend too.

Tiokiki thank you so much for the recipe. Looks lovely and super easy to make. I think a practice this week some time would be nice :-)

I hope your friends enjoy it :-)

Ice cream with a sprinkle of instant coffee. Whats it called again, chimneysweep?

My fave is orange polenta cake (google BBC Good Food recipe). Easy peasy amd yum.

We are having Italian night tomorrow - last Montalbano (sob!)

I made lemon tirimisu once and it was lovely

I have never ever tried tiramasu!

I had v dry crunchy pistachio biscotti with v sweet desert wine to dip them in. Was lovely.