Desserts, Sweets, Cookies and Pastries

While they have origins in Moorish Spain, alfajores are especially popular in South America. They are simple shortbread sandwich cookies with a sweet filling of dulce de leche. Different doughs are used for the cookies depending on the country. Some use normal flour dough, while others add cornstarch or even cassava flour for a more delicate crumb. This recipe uses a mixture of flour and cornstach. Read more »

These tasty biscuits (called "cookies" in the U.S.) got their beginning during World War I. Mothers and wives with boys in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) worried they weren't eating well. So they devised a sweet treat in a time of rationing that would travel well in care packages sent a world away. These days ANZAC biscuits are enjoyed on ANZAC Day (April 25) to remember the sacrifices of the men in WWI. They also make a great food for hikers and campers. Read more »

Apfelmus is your basic applesauce that is a typical German accompaniment to roast meats like schweinebraten. Jews of East European origin serve epl tsimes with latkes or use it to top blintzes. Applesauce is perfect as a dessert for children or babies as it is easily digested. It can also be used in many baking recipes to add moisture and cut down on the amount of fat. Read more »

Apple cake is popular throughout the United States, especially during the fall when the new apple harvest is coming in. This simple, moist, rich cake really hits the spot. Read more »

Arroz con leche (rice with milk) is one of the most popular desserts in the Latin world. This simple sweet conjures up memories of home and is supreme comfort food. Read more »

Enjoy this spring and summer dessert, so refreshing in its simplicity. Bärkräm is a creamy berry pudding from Sweden that can be made with blackberries, strawberries, gooseberries, or any berries in season. Read more »

A favorite Egyptian sweet, basboosa is a semolina cake that is baked and soaked with a floral-scented syrup. Its melting sweetness goes well with a cup of hot coffee or tea. Read more »

Pillowy puffs of fried dough dusted with snowy powdered sugar, beignets (bane-YAY) are most famously served at the Café du Monde on the banks of the Mississippi River in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Beignets are best enjoyed for breakfast with a hot cup of chicory coffee. Read more »

Besan laddu or ladoo is a very easy sweet to make and is popular throughout India, especially at festivals and celebrations. It is said to be the favorite sweet of the elephant-headed Lord Ganesh. Read more »

True blue American blueberry pie. Simple, sweet, rich, delicious and chock full of antioxidants. Blueberry pie is the perfect finish to a meal during the summer blueberry season. Try the star-studded crust variation for your next Memorial Day, Fourth of July or Labor Day celebration. Read more »

Caramel apples are a traditional autumn treat in the United States, especially popular with children around Halloween. Fresh apples are impaled on wooden sticks and dipped in sticky, sweet caramel. The caramel-coated apples are often rolled in nuts or candies for the ultimate flourish. Read more »

Chocolate crackles are a favorite of Australian children and are often served at children's parties, especially birthdays. Because they are so easy to make, chocolate crackles are a great way to get your kids involved in cooking. Let them lend a hand! Read more »

Clafouti originated in the Limousin region of France is often served as a breakfast dish, and can be made with all sorts of fruits. But cherries are classic. Cherry clafouti is traditionally made without first pitting the cherries. Read more »

This fun cake originated in the Southern United States. Bake one up when you find yourself stuck with some flat leftover soda. A favorite for birthday parties. Read more »

This steamed pudding is popular on the American Christmas table. Flame it with rum and serve it with eggnog sauce for an extra treat. Read more »

Savory or sweet, stuffed, rolled, stacked or drenched in a boozy orange syrup, crepes are a versatile favorite from France. These thin, delicate pancakes originated in Brittany in the northwest of the country, but they have spread in popularity around the world. Crepes are available as a quick snack in France from small carts or shops called crêperies. In Brittany, it is traditional to accompany crepes with a glass of the local cider. Read more »

One of the most popular and well known crepe recipes, crêpes Suzette is a bewitching dessert of thin pancakes in a rich orange-butter sauce. It is a classic dessert in French restaurants, where it is often prepared tableside. Just who Suzette was is not clear. There is a story she was a dinner companion of the future King Edward VII of England in Paris. The dessert was supposedly created in her presence and named in her honor. Read more »

Dresdner Stollen is the famous fruitcake from Dresden that is sold throughout Germany during the Christmas holiday season. Stollen is made from a rich yeast dough mixed with candied fruit and almonds. Loaves are folded to symbolize the Christ child in swaddling clothes. Although the dough itself is not traditionally all that sweet, baked loaves are brushed with butter, topped with powdered sugar and stored for at least two weeks before eating, allowing them to develop a rich and complex flavor. Also known as Christstollen, or Weihnachtsstollen. Read more »

Dulce de leche, is a sweet caramel spread popular throughout Latin America and used as a spread for bread, pastries, cakes, crepes and cookies like Argentinian alfajores cookies. It is known as cajeta in Mexico, manjar blanco in Peru, Chile and Bolivia, and arequipe in Colombia. Read more »

Flan, or crème caramel, is one of the most common dessert dishes in the Latin world. Coming originally from the border area of France and Spain, this simple yet elegant dessert has spread in popularity as far as the Philippines and Japan. Read more »

Gajar halwa, or carrot halva, is a favorite Indian dessert, a little like a pudding, with a beautiful color and a wonderful sweetness. It is popular at Diwali celebrations and at Indian wedding banquets, where it is often served paired with a scoop of rich vanilla ice cream. Read more »

Spiced breads have been popular in Europe reaching back to the time of the ancient Romans and Greeks. Germans have their lebkuchen and gingerbread houses. The English have traditionally shaped ginger-scented dough into men, animals and Father Christmas for the holidays. This recipe is always a favorite with kids. Read more »

Halva is a popular sweet found throughout the Middle East. Many varieties are made with tahini or semolina flour. This Persian version uses a simple mixture of flour, sugar and butter with the sweet perfume of rosewater. Read more »

Haupia is a popular Hawaiian dessert, often served on a ti leaf at luaus. A thick, sliceable coconut pudding, it is also used to cover cakes and as a top layer on pies. Read more »

This luscious dessert is a form of rice pudding that is paired with mangos at the peak of their ripeness. Sweet and rich, khao niao mamuang is a favorite way to finish any Thai meal. Read more »

Lekach is a spiced honey cake that is especially popular for Rosh Hashanah when sweet dishes symbolize a sweet New Year on the Jewish calendar. Read more »

Kugels are sweet or savory puddings that originated with Ashkenazi Jews, those from Eastern Europe. Lokshen kugel, or "noodle pudding," is probably the most popular. It is usually sweet and is often studded with chopped fruit. Kugels are often served at Sabbath meals and for Jewish holidays. Sometimes spelled kigel. Read more »

Variations of the poppy seed torte are found throughout Central and Eastern Europe. It is known as Mohntorte in Germany and makowiec in Poland. This recipe is a simple, flourless version from the Czech Republic. Read more »

These easy-to-make, flourless cookies are excellent served with tea or coffee. They will keep for over a month stored in a well sealed container. Read more »

Maria Luisa is an elegant cake popular in El Salvador and Colombia. A variation is the English tea cake called a Victoria sandwich. Read more »

Meni-meniyong is a wonderful Malinese sesame-honey sweet. It's easy to make and is great for kids and adults alike. Read more »

The famous cake of three milks, pastel de tres leches is believed to have originated in Nicaragua. It has become very popular throughout Central America and is becoming more and more common in the United States. Soaking the cake in three kinds of milk gives it a rich, dense quality, almost like a cheesecake. Read more »

Both Australia and New Zealand lay claim to the birthplace of this heavenly dessert, created to honor the great Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova during her visit in the 1920s. Often called "pav" for short, it is a baked meringue, crispy on the outside and marshmallowy on the inside, that is spread with whipped cream and topped with fresh fruit. Pavlova is a favorite for Aussie Christmases, and in New Zealand, it is often a stand-in for birthday cake. Read more »

Cobbler is a traditional American dessert that uses the freshest fruits of the season. The fruit is baked with a sweetened batter that rises up and around it to form a crispy crust. Peach, apple, berry and cherry cobbler are all popular variations. Read more »

This fruit tart is a simple way to use the freshest stonefruit of the season. Don't restrict yourself to plums! Peaches and apricots work well too. German tarts are generally less sweet than their American counterparts, so the full flavor of the fruit shines through without being cloying. Read more »

Pie crust was once a staple recipe in every American home. But most cooks these days are afraid to even attempt a homemade pie crust. The mere thought scares the bejesus out of people, but it shouldn't. Pie crust is simplicity itself. Just keep two things in mind: keep all the ingredients cold, and work the dough as little as possible. Follow that advice and the following recipe and you'll have flaky perfection. Read more »

These banana fritters are very popular in Indonesia and are excellent served with ice cream and drizzled with honey. You can also serve them in a dish with a little coconut cream. Read more »

Plantain fritters are popular in many tropical cuisines. They are eaten throughout the Caribbean and are also popular in the Philippines. Read more »

Po'e (POH-eh) is a popular fruit pudding found at all traditional Tahitian tamara'a barbeques. Originally the pudding was wrapped in banana leaves and baked in the fire pit. This simple baked version is easier in the modern kitchen. Read more »

As a French dessert, poires au vin rouge is a classic and a fine way to finish an autumn meal when pears are in season. Perfect after a dinner of venison, duck or goose. Read more »

Rich, creamy, chocolatey cups of heaven is about the best way to describe pots de crème au chocolat. Traditionally served in little cups with lids, this simple custard can be made in coffee cups or ramekins too. A favorite for Valentine's Day. The simple vanilla version is also excellent. Read more »

Like roast turkey and cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie is an essential part of any American Thanksgiving meal. Read more »

Unlike the Mexican snack of the same name, Salvadoran quesadilla is a rich, sweet dessert cake often found in local panaderías, or bakeries. The queso in quesadilla is traditionally unsalted Salvadoran queso fresco, a fresh farmers-type cheese. But parmesan cheese is often substituted. Read more »

Semita, a popular pastry in El Salvador, is basically a tart of bread dough filled with jam or other rich fillings. Semita de piña, with a tasty pineapple filling, is a favorite. Other types of semita are la semita alta and la semita pacha, both filled with a third layer of rich, sweet, buttery dough and often jam. Read more »

Luxuriously rich and creamy, sweet avocado shakes are a favorite Vietnamese dessert or mid-afternoon snack. Avocados, known as "butter fruit" in Vietnam, are used as a dessert ingredient throughout southeast Asia. The Indonesian version of the avocado shake, es apokat, adds coffee or chocolate syrup. Brazilians enjoy creme de abacate. These smoothies may pack a lot of calories, but the fat in avocados is the kind that's good for you. So don't feel so guilty -- indulge! Read more »

These easy-to-make cookies are a favorite in the United States. It is unclear where the name originated, but the Joy of Cooking suggests that it derives from the German Schneckennudeln, a type of cinnamon-scented sweet roll. Read more »

Strawberry shortcake is a classic American early summer dessert. It comes together quickly and easily and is the perfect way to finish a picnic in May or June. Read more »

Sufganiyot (singular: sufganiyah) are jelly or cream-filled donuts that are a traditional favorite for Hanukkah, when foods fried in oil are customary. Originally enjoyed by East European Jews, these sweet treats are now wildly popular in Israel for during the 8-day festival. Many gourmet versions are available. Read more »

Tire sur la neige (draw on the snow) is an old-fashioned treat in Québec, also known as tire d'érable or la tire. It is made in the late winter and early spring as the maple syrup harvest begins and snow is still on the ground. Long wooden troughs are filled with snow over which is poured boiled and reduced maple syrup, chilling it to a taffy-like consistency. The taffy is then rolled up on wooden sticks and eaten. As the Québecois say, "Attention aux dents!" Read more »

Torta di mele is a typical Tuscan dessert. Tuscans are known for finding all kinds of ways to use up leftover bread, and day-old bread is best for this recipe. Because this torte contains an egg custard, leftovers should be refrigerated. Read more »

Walnuts (noci) are a favorite of the Italians, and this simple, dense cake makes excellent use of their rich, round flavor. Serve with a capuccino or a hot cup of tea. Read more »