Desserts of Europe. What desserts are worth trying in Europe? French ice cream dessert with basil and mint

Desserts don't always achieve such popularity. However, each country has its own national sweets. Let's meet the best of the best. Especially for those with a sweet tooth!

France

They are rightfully considered one of the best French desserts. eclairs . These fluffy custard tarts have been popular since the 19th century and are one of the creations of chef Marie-Antoine Carême. Today you can enjoy eclairs with glaze and a variety of fillings. The imagination of French confectioners is limitless!

Another “sweet” pride of France - macaron – meringue cookies with a crispy crust and soft filling. A true masterpiece that simultaneously combines simplicity and sophistication. The variety of flavors and fillings will not leave anyone indifferent. By the way, the confectionery famous for this dessert Laduree located on the Champs Elysees in Paris.

Spain

Catalan cream traditionally served in clay pots and called the pride of Spain. Prepared by nuns back in the 18th century, today this dessert based on milk, sugar and eggs is endlessly loved by all Spaniards.

Breakfast in Spain often starts with churros . This is a delicacy made from deep-fried choux pastry. It is sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with hot chocolate.

Austria

The very first recipe strudel was invented in Vienna and dates back to 1696. An incredibly tasty dessert is made from thin dough with berry and fruit fillings (cherry, apple, pear). In a restaurant, a piece of strudel is sure to be decorated with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.

Among Austrian cakes, it holds the palm "Sacher" . It's impossible to resist a chocolate sponge cake with a delicate apricot filling, topped with a layer of chocolate. Sacher, prepared according to the original recipe, can only be tasted in the hotel cafe Sacher in Vienna, because it owns the exclusive right to use the trademark Original Sacher-Torte.

Germany

In the early 1930s, the famous "Black forest" , also known as Black Forest cherry cake . An incredibly delicious combination of chocolate sponge cakes, cherries and whipped cream.

Estonia

National delicacy of Estonia – marzipan – a mixture of ground almonds and sugar syrup. There is even a museum in honor of this dessert. Estonians decorate their favorite marzipan candies with chocolate icing, candied berries and nuts.

Italy

Home of the most delicious Italian dessert is considered a Piedmont city in the north-west of the country. The literal translation of the name is “boiled cream”. Panna cotta has a creamy texture and is usually garnished with berry sauces.

... Probably everyone has heard about him. However, it is in Italy that you can enjoy the true taste of this dessert: fresh Mascarpone cheese, fluffy Savoyardi cookies and Marsala wine, which has an extraordinary aroma.

Hungary

Extremely popular in Hungary pancakes a la Gundel , named after the famous chef. The traditional filling is sour cream and dried fruits; the dessert is topped with chocolate sauce.

Hungary gave the world a recipe for another dessert. Cake Esterhazy , first baked in the 18th century, was named after Foreign Minister Pál Antal Esterházy. Europeans immediately fell in love with the delicacy: almond cakes soaked in butter cream, white icing and the famous spider web design.

Netherlands

The Netherlands does not favor special culinary delights, so the national cuisine is simple and democratic. Favorite national dessert - open Apple pie , often topped with whipped cream. The aroma of cinnamon and crispy crust delight even the most sophisticated gourmets.

It should also be noted Dutch waffles – two thin wafer plates glued together with caramel syrup. What could be simpler and tastier?..

New Year, Christmas, warm family gatherings and the joy of children in the snow-covered yard - this is a real winter fairy tale that we find ourselves in every year.

Desserts of European cuisine

Despite the frost and snowstorms, we warm each other with the warmth of our hearts and good mood. To make this winter even sweeter in your life, we will tell you what delicious sweets are traditionally prepared for the holiday table in different European countries. You definitely need to try them, because this is a pleasant way to learn the delicious traditions of the country, as well as give yourself and your family a little bit of sweet happiness!

Desserts of England

According to tradition, the main Christmas pastry in England since the 17th century has been pudding.

The pudding has an interesting legend, which tells about the times of the First World War, when the English empire was almost split into pieces, the court chefs, together with the dukes, decided to save the kingdom. King George V lacked incentive to maintain the integrity of the state, and then they brought him a pudding, which was prepared from 16 ingredients that were collected from all corners of the empire, with the words - “With an integral empire you will have pudding, and without it - only crumbs of bread, flour and beer."

According to legend, pudding saved the empire and has since been considered the main dessert of the Christmas table. People liked this tradition so much that now every English family has its own signature pudding recipe.

The whole family prepares pudding, from young people to older ones. They also say that if you make a wish while cooking, it will definitely come true.

When decorating a Christmas pudding, a sprig of holly is placed in it and be sure to include a coin, a thimble, a button and a ring in the dough, which have a corresponding meaning for those who find them. A coin means that a person will have more money next year, a button means a bachelor life, a thimble, for a girl, means that she will not get married soon, a ring means marriage or marriage.

Desserts of Germany

Do you remember the Brothers Grimm fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel”? The history of the gingerbread house began with this fairy tale. Since the publication of this tale in 1812, these confections have become very popular.

And today, gingerbread houses are a traditional dessert of the German New Year holidays and are in great demand at Christmas markets. Each family prepares its own gingerbread house and competes with its neighbors to see which house is the best and most original.

On the eve of Christmas, various gingerbread houses appear on the shelves of shops and fairs, and even exhibitions and competitions are held.

Desserts of Austria

Probably every person has heard the name “Viennese strudel” at least once in their life. But what’s interesting is that the Arabs were the first to prepare desserts based on very thin dough, orange syrup and rose jelly. But it was the Austrians who perfected the recipe and made strudel a truly unsurpassed dessert.

The traditional and fragrant apple strudel is a must on the Christmas table in Austria. In every town, even a small one in Austria, Christmas morning always begins with the aroma of apples and cinnamon that envelops everything around. And if you are lucky enough to try this delicacy, then most likely you will remain a sincere fan.

Strudel smells of winter coolness, home and the warmth of hands. In Vienna they say: “A conscientious baker stretches the dough so thin that he can read through it love letters for his girlfriend.” That is why they believe that only a passionate pastry chef can make a delicious strudel.

Desserts of Italy

Italy is known for many things, but what makes it famous are its delicious desserts and unsurpassed Christmas pastries. And the main dessert that decorates the Italian holiday table every year is panettone.

Panettone is a Christmas cake that resembles an Easter cake. “Christmas can’t be Christmas without panettone” - that’s what they say in Milan. It was in this city, in the 15th century, that panettone first appeared. And it didn’t just appear, but was prepared for Duke Ludovico il Moro on the day of the Nativity of Christ.

However, like any tradition, this Christmas pie is shrouded in legends. The best of them tells a love story. The young man fell in love with the daughter of a poor Milanese baker, Toni, who was extremely beautiful and had a kind heart. However, his high status did not allow him to marry his beloved and the guy found a way to be closer to her, he began working as an assistant to her father. After their first kiss, the guy was so happy that while mixing the standard dough, he put a lot of butter, a whole handful of raisins and a lot of eggs into it and baked very tasty and aromatic bread. His father already wanted to kick him out, but the customers liked the aroma of the bread so much that they bought up the new baked goods immediately. So “pane di Toni”, bread from Toni, became famous in the near and far surroundings.

Panettone is usually prepared with mascarpone cheese, dessert wine, liqueur, custard or hot chocolate.

Desserts of France

The largest selection of delicious desserts on the eve of Christmas can only be found in France. Typically, 13 desserts are prepared for the festive table, which symbolize Christ and his 12 disciples, and differ in every corner of the country, it depends on the local variety of ingredients such as figs, raisins, quince, nougat and many others. However, there is no standard set of ingredients; what is available is used.

And yet the main traditional dessert for Christmas in France is the “Christmas Log”. This birthday cake resembles a log in its shape and color and is beautifully decorated with cream. Each bakery and confectionery house prepares its own special version of the “Christmas log”. And everyone is trying to make the best dessert and please customers with a delicious creation. They are decorated with beautiful figures or lots of chocolate. It’s impossible to say for sure who has it better or who has it tastier, since it’s impossible to try everything, but you definitely need to try at least one!

Now you know what delicious Christmas desserts you need to try this winter in such beautiful and interesting countries. Of course, few people will want to go for just dessert, but winter travel in Europe also includes unforgettable emotions and impressions of what you see, as well as a little winter fairy tale, where you will warm up with a smile and good mood.

Travel and enjoy life. Have a sweet winter!

Contrary to popular belief, desserts are an integral part of a nutritious diet. The main principle that must be adhered to, according to nutritionists, is that they should not be included in the daily diet. But for special events, various holidays, they can become a kind of “reward”. New Year and Christmas are the best time to treat yourself to some goodies. Since the holidays are still ongoing, here is a review of the most popular desserts in the world that you can still prepare.

Christmas pudding (UK)

No Christmas holiday in Britain is complete without a special pudding. Despite its popularity in the country and abroad, it is not as tasty as it seems. However, everyone still has a chance to try it. What if you like it?

Dulce de leche (Argentina)

Condensed milk is the pride of Argentina. It is a mixture of milk and sugar that is boiled until caramelized and turns into a thick, tender mass. Of course, you can buy it in the store, but it will be much tastier when prepared at home.

Bolu Rei (Portugal)

Bolu rei, also called king cake, is a traditional Portuguese sweet bread with nuts and candied fruits, served at Christmas or on January 6th for King's Day.

Mazariner (Sweden)

Delicious almond baskets are considered a variant of the Italian crostata di mandodorle, an almond pie. And the name itself suggests the origin of the dish. They are named after the Italian-French cardinal Giulio Mazarin (1602–1661), also known as Jules Mazarin. Thus, the dessert is already more than four hundred years old, and such longevity only proves its amazing taste.

Cherry pie (Holland)

Cherry and chocolate lovers will appreciate this light version of the German Black Forest cake.

Gulabjamun (India)

Gulab jamun is one of the most popular Indian desserts, which are donuts made from condensed or skim milk, filled with pink sugar syrup.

Vinarterta (Iceland)

In Iceland, this layer cake with prunes is also called “Striped Lady”. It is usually prepared during the winter holidays, especially Christmas. There’s just no single recipe, but there is an opportunity to try several of them.

Banoffee Pie (England)

This may be one of the most amazing desserts in England. It is made from bananas, cream and toffee made from condensed milk. All this is laid out on a crust of crumbled cookies and butter.

Knafeh (Middle East)

Many Middle Eastern countries, such as Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Syria, claim to be the birthplace of this delicious dessert. But no one can say this for sure. The same Greeks prepare a very similar dish called kataifi, but they don’t put soft cheese in it.

Tiramisu (Italy)

Tiramisu is one of the most popular Italian desserts, made from savoiardi cookies soaked in coffee and creamed with beaten eggs, sugar and mascarpone. Due to its popularity, it has spread throughout the world and acquired many variations.

Cranahan (Scotland)

A traditional Scottish dessert made from oatmeal, cream, whiskey and raspberries. This is an amazing opportunity to impress guests not only in the heart, but also in the stomach.

Rocky Road Cakes (Australia)

Rocky Road is an Australian dessert made from milk chocolate, marshmallows and served in the form of cakes or cupcakes. In the US it is usually served with ice cream.

Chocolate cake "Guinness" (Ireland)

The Irish have their own idea of ​​celebrating Christmas or St. Patrick's Day. And alcohol plays an important role there, even in desserts. And the combination of chocolate and beer in a cake will be simply unsurpassed.

Cake “Three Milks” (Mexico)

The cake got its name due to the fact that it is soaked in three types of milk. Although Mexican cuisine is known for its delicious, but very filling dishes, this dessert can be called the lightest and most harmless in terms of calories.

Devil's Food Cake (USA)

The cake is made from dark chocolate, and it got its name for its rich and rich taste, which simply cannot but be sinful.

"Dobos" (Hungary)

“Dobosh” is a magnificent sponge cake made from seven cake layers, coated with chocolate-butter cream and decorated with caramel. It was named after its creator, Hungarian chef Joseph Dobos.

Brazo de Gitano (Spain)

Although the name translates to “gypsy hand,” it is just a sponge roll. It is worth noting that it did not appear in Spain at all, but somewhere in central Europe, but it was here that it turned into a traditional Christmas dessert.

Christmas log (Belgium/France)

This is an incredibly delicious roll made from chocolate sponge cake and chocolate cream. Usually it is sprinkled with powdered sugar, which is supposed to symbolize snow.

Melomakarona (Greece)

It’s simply impossible to tear yourself away from these small honey cookies. This is one of the most popular treats in Greece during the Christmas holidays. And to make the taste even better, melomacarona is covered with milk chocolate.

Profiteroles (France)

Profiteroles are one of the best desserts in the world, consisting of choux pastry balls filled with cream and coated with milk chocolate glaze.

Sacher cake (Austria)

This is one of the most famous chocolate cakes in the world since its introduction in 1832 thanks to the Austrian Franz Sacher. It is a stunning sponge cake covered with a thin layer of apricot jam, and the chocolate icing on top only emphasizes the greatness of its taste.

Pavlova cake (New Zealand)

Don't let the name fool anyone, the dessert was invented in New Zealand. But it is really named after the great Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. It is a delicate meringue, decorated with whipped cream and pieces of fresh fruit.

Panettone (Italy)

It has arguably been the most popular Christmas sweet bread in Europe for the past few decades. It appeared in Milan and soon became a symbol of the city. Nowadays panettone can be found in many European and American cities.

Cheesecake (Greece/USA)

An incredibly tasty dessert, the origin of which is usually attributed to Americans, will make your holiday table unique. And the history of cheesecake is longer than it seems. The first memories of him date back to the fifth century BC. The ancient Greek doctor Aegimus wrote a whole book about the art of making cheesecakes.

Black Forest Cake (Germany)

"Black Forest" is an amazingly delicious chocolate cake consisting of four sponge cakes, pickled cherries and whipped cream, sprinkled with chocolate chips and decorated with berries. And you can serve a cup with dessert

Recipes for those who have long wanted to learn how to make something unusual and easy in the field of desserts. After all, almost all of our traditional cakes and pastries are too heavy, sweet and straightforward in an oriental manner. Obviously, you can do something more sophisticated and non-trivial.

Especially for our readers, pastry chef Timur Abdulkadyrov held a master class on preparing some European desserts.

Timur has been working as a pastry chef for 10 years. After graduation, he interned in Italy and worked in French restaurants. He admits that he has a sweet tooth by nature and really likes tasting desserts. Now such an opportunity has presented itself to us.

Italian mille-feuille with fruit and cheese

For it we will need the following products:

Strawberries - 30 gr,
Raspberries - 10 g,
Blueberries - 10 g,
Blackberries - 10 g,
Red currant - 20 g,
Millefeuille - 20 g,
Crushed pistachios - 20 g,
Mascarpone cream - 60 g,
Mint - 1 sprig.

Some clarification is required here: mille-feuille (or mille foglie (Italian: mille foglie) - translated as “thousand petals”) are the thinnest crispy puff pastry cakes. To make them, you can simply roll out store-bought puff pastry thinly, cut it into equal squares of about 8 by 8 cm and bake in the oven. Pistachios should be crushed, not ground. That is, they must be crushed to pieces 1-2 mm thick. You will have to make the mascarpone cream yourself.

It will require:
Mascarpone (this is Italian cream cheese) - 0.5 jars,
Egg yolk - 1 piece,
Powdered sugar - 100 gr.

Let's prepare it like this:

First the cream: for it, combine the cheese, egg yolk and powdered sugar and beat with a whisk until you get a homogeneous fluffy mass.

Now take three millefeuille squares, spread the cream evenly on two of them (not too much). Then we cut the berries: strawberries into quarters (if very large, then smaller), blackberries and raspberries in half. Leave the remaining berries whole.

Place the chopped berries on top of the cream and add a blueberry to each cake layer. Then we put the cake together and cover it with the third crispy millefeuille square.

Now you need to carefully spread the sides of the cake with cream so that all the filling is hidden under its layer, and both outer layers remain untouched. Finally, the final trick: holding the cakes by the top and bottom cakes free from cream, alternately dip all four sides in crushed pistachios so that they cover the cream with an even thick layer.

The cake is almost ready! Timur begins decorating it. First, he draws a graphic around it on the plate with berry sauce. If you have the patience, you can make this sauce yourself. For it you need to take 200 grams of blackberries, passion fruit and raspberries, grind in a blender, add 50 grams of powdered sugar and boil until a thick sauce is formed, and then cool.

Timur sprinkles the finished cake with powdered sugar and decorates the top with a sprig of red currant and a mint leaf. Now it’s not only very tasty, but also spectacular.

Try it and you will see that this is something completely extraordinary! Mascarpone cheese is much softer than any usual creams and not as sweet as them, and there is something incredibly attractive in the combination of its enveloping texture with crispy mille-feuille and nuts. And it's relatively easy to prepare. However, you need to know that this dessert cannot be prepared in advance, it must be eaten immediately.

French ice cream dessert with basil and mint

The second dessert is wonderful because it doesn’t resemble anything familiar at all. It contains an unusual flavor combination of basil and mint. It also has a completely different texture of its three constituent layers, which give a fireworks of tactile sensations when you feast on it.

For this dessert, you need to prepare three components in advance and store them in the refrigerator. These are mint-lime granita, airy espuma and basil sorbet.

We will need the following products:

For the mint-lime granita:
Sugar syrup - 100 g,
Fresh mint - 40 g,
Limes - 2 pcs.

For air espuma:
Sour cream 42% fat - 300 g,
Sugar syrup - 100 g,
Non-alcoholic mint syrup (ready) - 40 g,

For the basil sorbet:
Basil leaves - 100 gr,
Sugar syrup - 150 g,
Sparkling water - 350 g,
Stabilizer-emulsifier for ice cream - 10 g,
Egg white - 40 g,
Glucose syrup - 50 g,

Let's prepare it like this:

Granita is the smallest ice crystals that are obtained if you freeze a liquid gradually, stirring it all the time. To prepare mint-lime granita, you need to scald the mint with hot sugar syrup and let it stand for 2 minutes so that the mint gives off its color and taste.

Then take it out, cool the syrup slightly, add the chopped lime zest and squeezed lime juice, pour the mixture into a plate and put it in the freezer. As soon as the liquid sets on top with a thin crust of ice, you need to remove it from the freezer, mix thoroughly and freeze again, repeating stirring every 15-20 minutes. Then we will get not exactly ice, but tiny ice crystals: a delicate delicacy with a pronounced sweet-sour, mint taste.

Espuma is a culinary technique that allows you to turn anything into a delicate mousse. To prepare foamy mousse you will need a siphon for sauces. Of course, not every kitchen has a siphon, but this is exactly what is worth purchasing.

After all, with its help you can create a variety of culinary miracles, surprising guests not only with sweets, but also with the most delicate foamed sauces made from mushrooms, vegetables, fish or dairy products. Using a siphon, you can turn anything into a light, tasty, foamy mass that resembles whipped mousse.

In our case, you need to mix very fatty sour cream, sugar syrup and any non-alcoholic mint syrup. Place the resulting mass in a siphon and store it in the refrigerator (but not in the freezer). It is necessary to prepare espuma (foam the mass using a siphon) right before serving, since the mousse has a very delicate texture and settles quickly.

And finally, sorbet. We prepare it like this: scald the basil with hot sugar syrup, let it stand for 2-3 minutes, remove the leaves. Then let it cool, add the beaten egg white and the rest of the ingredients, beat everything and send it to the sorbet maker to make ice cream.

While Timur was cooking, we asked him what desserts he liked best. It turned out that they combine seemingly incompatible tastes. For example, basil and ice cream. He also really loves chocolate ice cream, which he makes with Guinness beer (half a liter of beer for one and a half liters of the composition for chocolate ice cream, whisk it into a sorbernitz).

When all three ingredients for our dessert are ready, we begin to “assemble” the dessert. Timur does this very effectively. He places mint leaves in a glass vase, then places a glass cone on top, into which he places a few spoons of bright green aromatic granita.

On top, with the help of a magician, using a siphon, he lays out a layer of light green delicate mousse and, finally, a ball of white ice cream is sent to the center of this splendor.

This magnificent dessert is truly a complex creation. It is beautiful visually, texturally and tastefully. The eye is pleased with the range of colors from a white scoop of ice cream to bright mint green. And there is also a gustatory and tactile play of sensations: from the rather sweet and dense creamy taste of a scoop of ice cream, through the delicate texture of whipped mousse to the sour mint crystals of granita. Plus, basil and mint in the dessert create a completely original combination. Royal dessert!

At first glance, it seems that it is quite difficult to do, but it is still worth learning. Moreover, along the way you can master several culinary techniques at once, which will give scope for your personal creativity.