Tiramisu

Your spoon glides through a featherlight mixture of mascarpone- and whipped-cream-spiked zabaglione dusted with cocoa. A layer of ladyfingers soaked in espresso and liqueur completes the bite. A classic tiramisu recipe sounds and tastes like a dream but is remarkably easy to put together. Prep time for this no-bake dessert recipe is minimal, and most of the process is hands-off, as it chills in the fridge.

The history of Italian tiramisu is slightly less straightforward. Some say it dates to 19th-century Treviso, Italy; others believe it was invented in either Friuli or Veneto sometime between 1959 and the end of the 1970s. Whatever its origins, homemade tiramisu is as crowd-pleasing as ever. Authentic tiramisu usually features Tia Maria–soaked ladyfingers, but you can use Kahlua or any spirit with coffee flavor, or substitute equal parts Amaretto and vanilla extract. Instead of Marsala wine, swap in dark rum or brandy, or try strong brewed coffee in place of espresso. If your nearest grocery stores don’t have mascarpone cheese, make a facsimile for the mascarpone cream mixture by combining room-temperature cream cheese with a dash each of heavy whipping cream and sour cream. Sponge cake can stand in for the dipped ladyfingers, though it has a softer consistency, so the end result will be drippier (this isn’t necessarily a bad thing). Repurpose the unused egg whites in cocktails or meringues, or refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to four days.