GREAT ITALIAN DESSERTS

From the Italian-American pastry teacher, author of last year's Nick Malgieri's Perfect Pastry, another collection of scrumptious desserts explained with apt directions, helpful tips, and brief informative background notes. Pistachio gelato, anise-flavored biscuits, a molded ricotta dome (zucotto), rich layer cakes, puff pastry butterflies (""easy and fun to make""), strudels, fruit tarts, a cream-filled Easter pie and even a pasta-filled torta are among the dishes Malgieri has imported or adapted from different parts of Italy and presented here with his unintimidating expertise as a pastry maker and teacher.