Even though India is the heaven for all things sweet, it always opens its arms to all kinds of desserts in the world, and the people have accepted it with their hearts. Europeans make more delicacies sweet than savory. They say that Europeans even eat their Breakfast sweet. It won’t be wrong to say that they are the biggest fans of flour, sugar, butter, and putting them in the oven. But each dessert in different European countries is unique and will melt your heart. We know all desserts represent the love for sugar, so we have curated a drool-worthy delicious dessert list for you to try:
1.Macarons
A macaron is an elegant yet typical French delight. It is a cookie made of ground almonds mixed in a meringue. All macarons have a vibrant color added by food coloring to signify their flavor, like green for pistachios and pink for berries. Upon baking, a jam, cream, or ganache filling sandwiches the cookies together. They are light, chewy, and have a smooth top and a thin crust.
2.Cannoli
Cannoli is one of the best-known desserts from Sicily in Italy. These are crispy fried pastry tubes filled with delectable ricotta cheese cream. These pastry tubes vary from mini-sized 3.5 inches to a lavish 8 inches. They are mostly thin, crispy shells filled with a fluffy filling and garnished with nuts. Cannolis originated during the 9th century in Sicily under Arab rule, and later, nuns prepared these during the carnival season.
3.Crème Brulee
Creme Brulee is a traditional egg custard prepared from egg yolks, cream, sugar, and vanilla and has a burnt toffee crust. The origins of this dish are still a mystery, but its name, Crème Brûlée, which means “Burnt Cream”, hints of it being from elegant French Kitchens. It is baked in a bain-marie to ensure its rich texture, so every bite you take is an irresistible mixture of caramel and vanilla. This chilled custard is usually served in flat dishes, garnished with caramelized brown sugar using a blowtorch. The satisfaction of cracking the top crust with a spoon, revealing the silky custard beneath, is pure joy.
4.Apfelstrudel
Apfelstrudel is an Austrian traditional pastry dessert with a vivid history, just like its thin and intricate layers filled with a delicious apple filling. It is primarily prepared in Austrian, Czech, and Italian households and restaurants. Apple Strudel has a long history where its original handwritten recipe was preserved in 1697 to maintain its enduring legacy. The filling holds a beautiful sweet and spicy texture due to the mixing of grated cooking apples, sugar, cinnamon, and bread crumbs. And the dough is topped off with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or vanilla sauce.
5.Gelato
Gelato is not just an Italian word for Ice Cream it is a whole ride into the world of Italian desserts. It is primarily a smooth frozen dessert, but has a butterfat proportion between 6%-9%, making it creamier than regular ice cream. Air is one-third of this mix, and with decadent flavors, having gelato is a wholesome experience. The pistachio and chocolate ones are mouth-melting.
6.Parfait
Parfait, which means ‘Perfect’ in French, is a layered frozen dessert. It has a creamy base of egg, fruits, whipped cream, nuts, and sugar syrup. It is thrilling to experience art on a plate. Parfaits are made savory with vegetables and seafood as well. These were initially served on plates, but nowadays, it’s set and served in tall glasses.
7.Souffle Au Chocolat
Chocolate soufflé is an exquisite French dessert. Dark chocolate, egg yolk base, and fluffy egg whites are the main ingredients. It is typically lightly baked in small bowls with a velvety center and a crunchy top. The name souffle is of French origin, ‘souffler’ which means a breath or a blow. That’s the reason souffles are an elegant dessert. It is also a savory indulgence with cheese and vegetables these days.
8.Granita
Granita is a classic Sicilian dessert. It is semi-frozen in nature and cools you down in extreme summers. It is traditionally experienced with espresso during breakfast. Granita is not just chilled but frozen. It is derived from the word, “rattata”, which means grated. It is made using snow and ice collected from Etna during winter. It has a grainier texture.
9.Churchkhela
Churchkhela also known as Georgian Snickers, is a candle-shaped candy made primarily from grapes, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and flour. This Georgian delight can be enhanced with chocolate, berries, and raisins. In eastern Georgia, Tartara(a condensed grape juice) and thickened wheat flour are used to prepare it, while the western part prefers corn flour and pelamushi grape juice.
10.Mousse
Mousse is a classic dessert made from chocolate, eggs, butter, sugar and salt. It is foamy and bubbly in texture with a rich chocolate flavor. Mousse translates to “foam” in French and is a classic eighteenth-century dessert. It has both sweet and savory versions. The Mousse is whipped to perfection and served light and chilled. Their most common flavors are chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.
11.Meringue
Meringue is a sweet, airy, and feather-light textured flowing dessert. It uses simple ingredients like egg whites, sugar, and vinegar for baking with air. It is frosted on desserts to turn cakes and pies into art. It is mixed with chocolate, fruits, or nuts to add to its flavor. It’s a part of French, Italian, Polish and Swiss cuisines.
12.Poffertjes
Poffertjes, also known as ‘brothers,’ are small, cute pancakes from the Netherlands. There is a special pan to prepare them known as a poffertjes pan. Poffertjes are enjoyed warm. Yeast and buckwheat flour are the key ingredients used. They are dusted with sugar and melted butter and adorned with fresh fruits, cream, or rum. It is a festive treat in Dutch streets and Christmas markets.
13.Krostule
Kroštule has Latin roots, but it is a traditional pastry from Croatia. They appear around Christmas and Easter. These are tweaked deep-fried dough made from eggs. Some versions have a zesty lemon or orange peel flavor added to the dough. It is dusted with sugar before consuming. It is also popular in Slovenia. They are like little bow-tie sweet fritters.
14.Mille Feuille
Mille Feuille means “a thousand leaves” in Italian, and it is due to the multiple layers in a puffed-up, buttery pastry. It has a delectable contrast of creamy flavors and light-flaky textures. It is a great tea time sweet tooth relief. The top of the Mille Feuille is generally iced or chocolate-combed.
15.Yule Log
Yule log cake is a beautiful Christmas holiday treat that originated in the 19th century. It is a centerpiece on the dessert table in the households of Belgium, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. It is a picturesque dessert, artistically rolled in the shape of a Yule Log, and is a creamy sponge cake inside. The wood-looking exterior is coated with sugar or ganache, resembling a winter spectacle. Yule is the dessert that warms the heart and brings a little smile.
16.Affogato
The authentic Affogato is an Italian delight combining freshly brewed espresso and a scoop of fior di latte gelato. Affogato translates to “drowning”, referring to the process of its preparation in which espresso is poured over a scoop of gelato. Adding almonds, chocolate, and crumbled biscotti to the Affogato glass is a creative choice. It can be slowly sipped or devoured with a spoon after a meal.
17.Gingerbread
Gingerbread is a traditional Polish delicacy as it holds a special place in Poland’s national cuisine. It is truly an iconic dessert treat and has historical significance. The city of Toruń celebrates its beloved gingerbread with an annual festival called Święto Piernika (the Gingerbread Festival). Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, and Nutmeg are the main spices added to this bread.
18.Melopita
Melopita was born in the heart of Greece on the picturesque Sifnos Island. It is like a honey pie but lighter, moister, and sweeter. It has a rich, buttery, honey flavor that will melt in your mouth. Mizithra Cheese gives a seamless blend to its texture. There is a perfect harmony of honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg with a flaky outer crust in the Melopita.
19.Flodeboller
Flodeboller is a Danish dessert originating from the city of Copenhagen. It was also known as Negerkys (Negro Kiss) for Danish people, who have fond memories of it at their birthday parties and special occasions. It has a wafer base topped with a fluffy meringue. It is dipped generously in dark or white chocolate with sprinkles.
20.Babka
Babka is a sweet bread served on Easter Sundays in Poland and other Central and Eastern European Countries. It contains raisins and rum for flavoring and has a fruit-based icing glaze. The cake’s name is the Polish word for grandmother, reminiscent of baking in a Bundt mold as it takes the shape of a grandmother’s skirt. It has a braided pattern, is considered to symbolize fertility, and represents the Jewish communities in Ukraine and Poland.
