Life is Full of Sweet Things

Europe

Sweden

Kladdkaka is a popular dessert. It is a delicious chocolate cake prepared with eggs, cocoa or chocolate, butter, sugar, and flour. After baking the center should be moist and the outside of the cake should have a thin, crunchy coating. It is dusted with powdered sugar.

France

Crème brulee is a traditional egg custard. It is made with egg yolks, cream, sugar, and vanilla. The custard is cooked in ramekins poached in a baine-marie (double boiler). Afterward the custard is placed in the fridge to chill. The chilled custard is placed on flat dishes, topped with brown sugar that is caramelized under a broiler or with a blowtorch.

Chocolate souffle is a dessert that combines dark chocolate with a creamy egg yolk base and fluffy egg whites. Baked in small ramekins the middle should be soft and the top crunchy.

Netherlands

Appeltaart is a traditional Dutch apple pie. The pie dough is baked in a spring-form pan full of chunks of apples, currants, and raisins. The spices used are cinnamon, lemon juice, and other warm spices.

Austria

Apfelstrudel is a traditional pastry dessert. Thin layers of dough are filled with flavorful apple filling.

Belgium

Liege waffles are one of the two most popular waffle varieties. They’re made with thick, brioche-like dough sweetened with pearl sugar and baked in a waffle pan. The waffles can be topped with powdered sugar, whipped cream, chocolate, or various fruit.

Germany

Agnes Bernauer Torte originated in Bavaria. This is an almond meringue layer cake filled with coffee buttercream. The cake consists of several light almond meringue discs that are layered with coffee buttercream and roasted almond flakes. The cake is topped with a thin layer of cream coating and more almond flakes on top.

Slovenia

Sirovi is a traditional variety of stuklji origination in Slovenia. The dough is prepared with flour, water, eggs, oil, and salt. After the dough is rested it is rolled out in thin sheets and topped with a mix of sour cream and cottage cheese. Both sugar and raisins can be added. Once topped the dough is rolled up into a log, wrapped in a kitchen cloth and boiled in salted water until cooked. The struklji are cut into pieces, topped with breadcrumbs, and fried in butter.

Poland

Paczki are traditional Polish doughnuts. They’re prepared with yeast-leavened dough rich in eggs, sugar, and milk. A touch of spirit like rum is added to the dough to prevent the absorption of oil during frying. Traditional fillings are plum preserve and rose jam. The pastries are ball-shaped.

Greece

Fouskakia are traditional Greek doughnuts. Origination of the islands of Skopelos and Alonnisos in the northwest Agean Sea. They’re prepared with a batter made of flour, water, and yeast. After deep-frying the doughnuts are topped with honey and sprinkled with nuts or cinnamon.

Galaktoboureko is a traditional dessert made with layers of phyllo dough, sprinkled with melted butter and combined with a light semolina custard. The pastry is baked and then well-chilled. It is traditionally doused in orange-spiced, sugary syrup to let all the layers absorb the flavor.

Italy

Tiramisu is a no-bake desser that is prepared with Savoiardi or Pavesini ladyfingers. The ladyfingers are soaked in sugar and coffee syrup and layered with a mixture of whipped eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese.

Bombolini are deep-fried Italian doughnuts. The dough is sugar-coated once fried. They’re usually filled with custard cream or chocolate cream.

Portugal

Pastel de nata is a traditional egg custard tart. Flaky pastry shells are filled with creamy egg yolk custard flavored with cinnamon. The pastry is prepared by laminating the dough with butter. The custard consists of milk, water, sugar, and egg yolks.

Bolas de Berlim are doughnuts that are sliced in half and filled with sweet and creamy egg-based custard. The doughnuts are rolled in granulated sugar before being filled with the custard.

Africa

Algeria

Makrond el louse are flourless Algerian cookies. The cookies consist of almonds, eggs, sugar, and a flavoring of orange flower water. The cookies are baked a light brown and tossed in powdered sugar.

Egypt

Kunafah consists of two crunchy layers of shredded and buttered knefe dough. The dough is filled with cheese cream flavored with orange zest and cardamom and drenches in sugar syrup infused with lemon juice and orange blossom water. It is traditionally prepared with Hatay, Urfa, or Antep cheese and topped with pistachios.

South America

Argentina

Alfajores are sandwich cookies. Two round cookies are filled with dulce de leche or milk jam between them. The cookies are then coated with a layer of chocolate or sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar.

Brazil

Bombacado is a dessert prepared with shredded parmesan, grated coconut, flour, milk, butter, eggs, and sugar. The mixture is baked, chilled, and cut into wedges.

Bolo de brigadeiro is a traditional Brazilian cake. The cake is made with three layers of chocolate cake filled with fudgy brigadeiro filling and frosted with a frosting that consists of condensed milk, table cream, margarine, chocolate powder, full fat milk, and cornstarch. The cake is decorated with chocolate sprinkles.