After-Dinner Coffee Ice Cream Sodas

The flavors of this fun grown-up soda come from the Italian caffè corretto: coffee that's been "corrected" with a shot of Sambuca.Searching for more fun drinks for grown-ups? Visit our Drinks & Entertaining page.

• 1 pint coffee ice cream
• 1/2 cup Sambuca
• 1 quart club soda

Put a 1/2-cup scoop of ice cream in each of 4 tall glasses. Drizzle 2 Tbs. Sambuca over each one and top off with club soda. Serve immediately with a straw and a long-handled spoon.

Pine Nut and Orange Cookies

The addition of olive oil makes these tasty cookies moist and rich.

• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 6-3/4 oz. (1-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar; more for rolling
• 3 Tbs. finely grated orange zest (from 2 medium oranges)
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large egg, beaten

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.


Toast the pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.


In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, zest, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pine nuts. In a small bowl, whisk the oil and egg and add to the dry ingredients. Mix with your hands until the dough is evenly moist and holds together when squeezed, 1 to 2 minutes.


Fill a small bowl with about 1/4 cup sugar. Pinch off 1 rounded teaspoonful of dough (about 1/2 oz.). Shape it into a ball, coat it in the sugar, and set it in on a light-colored nonstick cookie sheet. Dip the bottom of a drinking glass in the sugar and flatten the cookie to slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. Repeat to make 13 more cookies.


Bake until the tops are golden and the edges are brown, 9 to 13 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for several minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely. While the first batch of cookies bakes, shape the remaining dough into cookies and arrange on a second cookie sheet. When the first batch is done, bake the second batch.


The cookies will keep in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Nutella Fudge Brownies

These two-bite brownies are fudgy and decadent with a crunchy top. You'll never believe they're made with just four ingredients.Watch Abby demonstrate this and two other four-ingredient desserts in her Holiday Cookies Video Series. And if you think Abby's four-ingredient cookies are cool, watch how she transforms four ingredients into crowd-pleasing frosty treats.

• 1/2 cup Nutella chocolate-hazelnut spread
• 1 large egg
• 5 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts

Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup mini muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

Put the Nutella and egg in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth and well blended. Add the flour and whisk until blended.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins (about 3/4 full) and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts.

Bake until a pick comes out with wet, gooey crumbs, 11 to 12 minutes.Set on a rack to cool completely. Serve immediately or cover and store atroom temperature for up to 3 days.

Gingerbread Biscotti

Biscotti are very forgiving, and you can bake these to your taste: chewy, crunchy, or somewhere in between.

• 10 oz. (2-1/4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1-1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1-1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. table salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 4 oz. (1 cup) pecans, coarsely chopped
• 4 oz. (1/2 cup) lightly packed dried apricots, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. finely grated orange zest (from about 1 medium navel orange)

Tip:

For the best results, measure your flour by weight instead of volume. (1 cup of all-purpose flour equals 4-1/2 oz.) If you don’t have a scale, be sure to use the proper technique when filling your measuring cups.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, brown sugar, ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and baking soda on medium-low speed until well blended. On low speed, briefly mix in the pecans and apricots. In a measuring cup, lightly whisk the molasses, eggs, and orange zest. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the egg mixture. Continue mixing until the dough is well blended and comes together in large, moist clumps, 1 to 2 minutes.

Dump the dough onto an unfloured work surface. Divide into two equal piles (about 1 lb. each). Shape each pile into a log that's 10 inches long and about 1-1/2 inches in diameter, lightly flouring your hands as needed (the dough is a bit sticky).

Position the logs on the lined cookie sheet about 4 inches apart. Bake until the tops are cracked and spring back slightly when gently pressed, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the sheet to a rack and let cool until the logs are cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.

Carefully peel the biscotti logs from the parchment and transfer to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, saw each log into diagonal slices 3/4 inch wide. Return the slices to the cookie sheet (no need for fresh parchment) and arrange them cut side down. It's all right if they touch because they won't spread.

Bake until the biscotti are dried to your taste, about 10 minutes (for slightly moist and chewy) to 20 minutes (for super-dry and crunchy). Transfer the cookie sheet to a rack and let the biscotti cool completely. The biscotti will still give slightly when pressed, but will harden as they cool. When cool, store in airtight containers.

Mandarin Napoleons with Sugared Wonton Wrappers

Don’t limit wonton wrappers to savory dishes. This dish, which makes a fun ending to a Chinese or pan-Asian menu, uses toasted, sweetened wontons as sturdy layers for mandarin orange and cream–filled Napoleons.

• Cooking spray
• 12 wonton wrappers
• 2 Tbs.granulated sugar
• 1 cup sweetened whipped cream
• One 11-oz. can mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained
• 1 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.


Arrange the wonton wrappers on the sheet and spray them with cooking spray. Sprinkle them evenly with the granulated sugar, then bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes.


Remove from the oven and arrange four of the wontons on a serving platter or individual dessert dishes. Top each one with 2 Tbs. of the whipped cream and then 1/8 of the mandarin sections. Top each with a second wonton wrapper. Repeat the layers (whipped topping, mandarin oranges, wonton wrapper). Sift the confectioners’ sugar over the top layer and serve.

Raspberry Lemon Mousse Trifle

Use a 9-inch nonaluminum springform ring, a quiche pan that’s about 3 inches tall, or a-bottomless cake ring (also called a vacherin) to assemble the trifle. Or use large wineglasses to make individual trifles.

For the sponge cake:

• Butter for the pan
• 2-1/2 oz. (1/2 cup plus 3 Tbs.) cake flour
• 1-1/4 oz.(5 Tbs.) cornstarch
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbs. melted unsalted butter

For the lemon mousse:

• 6 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 4 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 2 Tbs. finely grated lemon zest
• Generous pinch salt
• 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
• 1-1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped to medium firm peaks

For the soaking liquid and assembly:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 5-1/2 cups fresh raspberries
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Bake the sponge cake:

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, and 2 Tbs. of the sugar. Crack the eggs and yolk into the bowl of an electric mixer. Whip on medium speed, adding the lemon juice, salt, and the remaining 6 Tbs. sugar. Increase the speed to high and whip until the eggs are very fluffy, at least tripled in volume, and form soft peaks, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Sift the flour mixture over the eggs in three separate additions, gently incorporating with a hand whisk each time. Put the melted butter in a small bowl, add a dollop of the batter, and stir gently. Add this to the mixing bowl, folding gently with a spatula to incorporate. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until dark golden and springy when touched, about 40 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack.

Make the lemon mousse:

In a heavy-duty, nonreactive saucepan, combine the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and butter. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the butter melts. Reduce the heat to medium low and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickly coats the back of the spoon, about 5 minutes. Strain into a clean bowl and stir in the zest and salt. Refrigerate, covered, until completely chilled. The mixture will be very thick. In a medium bowl, mash the mascarpone with a rubber spatula. Add a little of the chilled lemon curd and continue mashing until the mixture is lump free. Stir in the rest of the lemon curd, and then fold in the whipped cream. (If the mousse is too stiff, add a touch of unwhipped heavy cream to loosen it.) Refrigerate until it’s time to assemble the trifle.

Mix the soaking liquid:

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and the sugar has completely dissolved. Set aside. Pass 1 cup of the berries through a food mill fitted with a fine disk or force them through a fine sieve, mashing with a wooden spoon, into a medium bowl. Discard the contents of the strainer and stir the purée (you should have about 1/2 cup) into the sugar syrup. Add the lemon juice and set aside until it’s time to assemble the trifle.

Assemble the trifle:

With a serrated knife, slice the cake into three equal round layers. (If you’re using wineglasses, cut the layers into squares the approximate size of the glasses.) Set a 9- inch-wide springform ring or cake ring that’s about 3 inches tall onto a flat serving plate. Put one cake layer on the bottom. With a pastry brush, moisten the cake well with the soaking liquid (it should be well moistened but not sodden).

Spread on one third of the mousse and then arrange one third of the remaining 4-1/2-cups berries over the mousse. Place the second cake layer on top, moisten it with more soaking liquid, and repeat with another third of the mousse and another third of the berries. Do a third layering, ending with the remaining berries arranged on top (save the best-looking berries for this layer).

Refrigerate the trifle until the mousse has firmed, at least 3 hours, but no longer than a day. Remove the cake form or ring just before serving and cut the trifle into slices like a cake.

Braised Beef Braciola Stuffed with Basil and Mozzarella

This is a home-style version of the Italian-American classic. The traditional dish uses small roulades of beef round, but here we use a whole flank steak because it’s quicker and easier to stuff and roll one large cut and the flank offers a wonderful flavor. If you want to build up the stuffing, add prosciutto or hearty greens like kale.

• One 2 lb. flank steak
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup grated mozzarella
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/3 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
• 12 large basil leaves, torn into pieces 
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into thin strips (about 1-1/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup red wine
• One 28-oz. can whole tomatoes and their juices (3 cups), puréed (preferably San Marzano)
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 8 oz. white mushrooms, quartered

Set the flank steak on a large cutting board. Using a chef’s knife, slice the steak lengthwise along one long side (without cutting all the way through the meat) and open it up like a book. Using a meat mallet, flatten the meat so it is about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle both sides of the meat with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. For the stuffing, put the mozzarella, Parmigiano, breadcrumbs, and basil in a mini chopper or food processor and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the stuffing evenly over one side of the beef, and roll it up lengthwise jelly roll–style with the stuffing inside. Secure with kitchen twine in five or six places.

Heat half the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it’s shimmering. Add the beef and cook until it browns and releases easily from the pan, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until browned, about 5 more minutes. Transfer to a large plate.

Add the remaining 2 Tbs. oil and the onion to the pan, and lower the heat to medium. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt and cook, stirring, until the onion wilts completely and turns a light brown, about 8 minutes. Add the red wine and cook, stirring, until it almost completely reduces, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and tuck the meat and mushrooms into the broth. Cover and cook, repositioning the meat occasionally, until the meat becomes tender and cuts easily with a paring knife, about 1-1/2 hours. Set the meat on a cutting board and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Thinly slice and serve topped with the sauce and vegetables.