Warm and balmy nights are the perfect occasion to serve a silky-smooth panna cotta or a slice of double-chocolate mousse cake. Whether you’re entertaining a crowd or preparing a chilled sweet treat for you and your household, we have the perfect recipe to cool down those summer nights. From tiramisu ice-cream cones to boozy affogato’s, and cold layer cakes to crunchy granita’s, there is an elegant chilled dessert for every occasion.
This panna cotta from Alessandro Pavoni is the definition of a perfect warm weather dessert. You'll need to begin this recipe at least 6 hours ahead.
Double the chocolate, double the deliciousness. This decadent mousse cake deserves to be savoured slowly.
“My wife Julie came up with this tiramisu, and we served it at Saint Peter. You could dress it up with beautiful cherries on top.” – Josh Niland
Dessert just got better with this rich Italian martini. Combining a decadent affogato with the boozy flavours of a classic martini, this adults-only sweet treat is the perfect way to end (or start!) your night. Credit: Ben Dearnley
"We’re serving a pistachio tiramisu at The Charles now. It’s such a beautiful dish, and I wanted to transform it into a celebration cake." - Rhiann Mead
Amorette mandarins are seedless, easy to peel and have a nice balance of sweetness and tang.
Aww, you’re blushing! Or it could just be the beautiful rosy glow from this fragrant summer dessert by Yotam Ottolenghi.
You can never enjoy too many versions of tiramisu, and this no-churn ice cream can be ready for the freezer in minutes!
Level up your dessert with this decadent triple chocolate mousse cake. Cut through three layers of rich chocolate, from the bitter dark chocolate base through to the velvety-smooth milk chocolate centre, set with a glossy dark chocolate mirror glaze. Perfect for sweet tooths of all ages, this rich dessert is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Recipe note: Begin this recipe at least 5 hours ahead. You’ll need a 22.5cm springform pan and a 20cm springform pan.
"When done well, with some red wine, a bit of sugar and some aromats, rhubarb has this nice acidic, tart flavour, which goes well with panna cotta." – Nigel Ward
Transform your leftover pav, or any store-bought meringue, into a luxurious and elegant ice cream. Grab your favourite summer berries and some crunchy meringue, and cut up blocks of sweet rose Turkish Delight to spoon through velvety vanilla ice cream. Then sit back and enjoy a truly indulgent dessert. Recipe note: Begin this recipe at least 4 hours ahead. You’ll need a 5-cup (1.25L) metal loaf pan
Shortbread, chocolate and caramel come together in a wicked frozen dessert that will keep the late summer heat at bay. The bonus? It's freezer-ready for ad-hoc entertaining (not that you'll want to share).
The classic Italian dessert gets an elegant twist in this delicious affogato recipe. Swap an espresso shot with silky swirls of whipped coffee to sit on top of velvety-smooth vanilla ice-cream, topped with drizzles of chocolate sauce to balance the sharp, sweet flavours. Super-easy to make, this two-step recipe makes the ultimate adults-only dessert when you're entertaining.
There's no ice-cream machine needed! As the recipe name suggests, you won't need any fancy equipment to make this creamy and fruity dessert at home.
Matt Preston shares his take on the classic French dessert, Poire Belle Hélène.
"The scents of mothballs and seeds lingered around my great-grandmother. Cloves for sweet breath, fennel for digestion, cardamom for coffee. She was from the Dardanelles in Turkey. Cardamom coffee is a Turkish thing, and it reminds me of the milky coffee my great-grandmother spilled into saucers ‘on accident’ which, as a small child, I was permitted to sip. Order a mezza con panna, especially around the province of Messina, and you’ll get a glass fifilled with half coffee granita and half unsweetened whipped cream. ‘Mashallah!’ (‘Praise God!’), she would have said." - Victoria Granof Recipe note: You’ll need a 2L metal baking dish or cake pan. This recipe is an edited extract from Sicily, My Sweet by Victoria Granof, published by Hardie Grant Books, AUD$49.99. Available now.
