Dessert

Germany

This is a special variety of brown, firm gingerbread that has been baked in Aachen since the 1820s. The term printe refers to the use of carved wooden molds into which the dough is pressed during production. Having been regionally protected, the Aachener Printen may only be produced in Aachen and a few neighboring villages. The dough is made from flour, sugar, and exotic spices such as cinnamon, aniseed, or ginger, which impart a unique flavor to the gingerbread. Freshly baked Printen are always firm, but because many people prefer their pastries tender, they are also offered in a soft version. Experts swear that Printen taste the best if they are left for a few days to develop their full flavor.

Aachener Printen

India

Aamras is essentially pur&eacute;ed mango pulp that is typically eaten as a dessert. It is made with ripe and juicy mangos that are sliced or diced and blended into a creamy, sweet, and fragrant mixture. The finely pur&eacute;ed cream usually gains the sweetness from ripe mangos, but it can be additionally sweetened with jaggery or sugar. It is sometimes merely elevated with the addition of saffron, dry ginger, or cardamom, but its simplicity allows room for alteration and the creation of numerous varieties. Classic aamras is a typical summer dessert, but canned varieties are available all year round. Even though it is often regarded as a dessert on its own, aamras may also be accompanied by poori bread, steamed rice, and dal. This creamy delicacy is usually associated with Indian states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, and it is commonly served at festive occasions.

Aamras

Aasmi is a famous Sri Lankan sweet made with a combination of rice flour, coconut milk, okra juice, sugar, and water. Once made, the batter is fried into thin strings which are overlapped. Before serving, aasmi is typically drizzled with sugar syrup, then left to set. This dessert can be prepared a few days in advance, and it's then kept in airtight containers.

Aasmi

Aberffraw biscuit is a traditional shortbread that&rsquo;s believed to be Britain&rsquo;s oldest biscuit. These cookies are made with a simple combination of high-quality butter, flour, and sugar. The rich and sweet shortbread is instantly recognizable due to its visual appearance &ndash; it&rsquo;s shaped like a scallop shell. It is believed that the origin of the scallop shape dates back to the 13th century, when Welsh pilgrims went on their pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, and they began pressing shortbread with scallop shells as an homage to their journey.

Aberffraw Biscuit

&Aacute;brystir is a delicious Icelandic pudding made with colostrum &ndash; the first milk from a cow or sheep after giving birth. It has a very rich and thick texture, similar to that of cr&egrave;me br&ucirc;l&eacute;e. &Aacute;brystir is consumed as a dessert with sugar, cinnamon, and other sweeteners that are commonly added to enhance its flavor. It can be served cold, lukewarm, or hot, but it is usually warmed a little before being eaten. &Aacute;brystir originated as a homemade specialty made by Icelandic farmers during springtime, when their cows and sheep gave birth. Even today, it remains a rare delicacy because colostrum is not found in any supermarkets and it is only available for a short time after the farm animals give birth to their offpsring.

Ábrystir

A&ccedil;a&iacute; na tigela is a versatile Brazilian dessert made with mashed a&ccedil;a&iacute; berries, usually served in a bowl, topped with banana and granola, and combined with other fruits and guaran&aacute; syrup. The a&ccedil;a&iacute; palm thrives throughout the Amazonian basin, and its berries are characterized by an earthy flavor and dense texture. The dessert can be found throughout Brazil, especially along the northeastern coast, where it's sold in most kiosks and juice bars. A&ccedil;a&iacute; bowl was first popularized during the 1980s by a Brazilian Jujitsu founder named Carlos Gracie. As time went by, Brazilian surfers took part in the trend in the 1990s, and by the 2000s, the refreshing, flavorful, and healthy a&ccedil;a&iacute; bowl spread in popularity outside of Brazil, most notably in Hawaii and Southern California, becoming a staple of the surfers' diet.

Açaí na tigela

These flower-shaped cookies are prepared with a thin batter which consists of rice flour, eggs, and coconut milk. They are made with specialized achu molds which are heated, then dipped and coated in batter, before the cookies are deep-fried until golden and crispy. Achappam cookies originate from Kerala, where they are usually associated with Christian communities, but similar sweets are found in other Asian countries. It is believed that all of them were modeled on traditional Dutch cookies known as rosette or struva.

Achappam

Acıbadem kurabiyesi are traditional Turkish cookies. They're made with a combination of egg whites, sugar, and almond flour. Traditionally, a few bitter almonds would be used in the preparation, but as they're not readily available today, almond extract is sometimes used as a replacement. The combination is cooked over medium heat, then mixed with lemon juice and left to cool. Once baked, the cookies should have a chewy texture. They're typically served with Turkish coffee or ice cream.

Acıbadem kurabiyesi

Although the name &aelig;blekage can be translated as apple cake, this traditional Danish dessert is a sweet treat that has more in common with a trifle or a crumble. It consists of a creamy, cinnamon-spiced apple sauce that is layered between crispy breadcrumbs or crumbled cookies. It is usually prepared and served in bowls or decorative glasses, while the top is often covered with a generous layer of whipped cream. Enjoyed throughout the year, &aelig;blekage is always served cold, and it is recommended to garnish it with various fruit preserves.

Æblekage

These light, small-sized Danish pancakes are prepared with a leavened egg batter that is poured and baked in specially designed hollowed pans. Even though they were initially prepared with apples &ndash; hence the name &ndash; today, they rarely appear in their original form and mostly incorporate ingredients such as vanilla, citrus zest, or cardamom. Traditionally associated with Christmastime, these sweet treats are usually served dusted with powdered sugar or complemented with various fruit preserves.

Æbleskiver

The authentic affogato combines two Italian classics: a shot of freshly brewed espresso and a scoop of vanilla or fior di latte gelato. Affogato translates as drowned, referring to the preparation process in which steaming espresso is generously poured over a scoop of gelato. The popularity of affogato has resulted in numerous variations that may include anything from fortified wines, different gelato flavors, or the addition of almonds and crumbled biscotti. Whether served in cups or dessert glasses, affogato can be slowly sipped or eaten with a spoon, and is best enjoyed after a big meal.

Affogato

Australia

Why these crispy cookies are named Afghan is uncertain, but the recipe can be found in Edmonds Cookery Book, dating back to 1955. The cookies consist of crushed cornflakes that are combined with butter, cocoa, and sugar to create a firm dough that is usually formed into flattened balls. Baked until firm, each cookie is garnished with a dollop of chocolate icing and halved walnut or almond flakes.

Afghan Biscuit

Ageeli is a Qatari ring-shaped cake that can be made as one large cake or as several single-serving cakes. It is made with eggs, flour, sugar, cardamom, saffron, and rosewater and covered with tahini and sesame seeds. However, variations do exist, and some recipes will also include milk and/or yogurt. It is a light, crunchy cake, usually paired with coffee and tea. It is also traditionally eaten for breakfast with hot milk on Bayram morning.

Ageeli

Aggala is a popular Sri Lankan sweet that is traditionally served as a snack, accompanied by a cup of tea in the afternoon. These delicious, roasted balls are made with a combination of roasted rice flour (or rice), honey, coconut, and salt. They are sometimes also seasoned with pepper, but it is completely optional. The combination is lightly roasted in a pan, just until it thickens, and the balls are then ready to be served.

Aggala

&Auml;ggost, meaning egg cheese, is the pride and joy of the region of Bohusl&auml;n where everyone enjoys it on special occasions and during holidays such as Christmas, Easter, and Midsummer. This delicious treat is typically made with a combination of milk, sour milk, eggs, and sugar, which is heated until it curdles. Originally, the curdle mixture is placed into a special wooden mold with beautiful, elaborate carvings and small holes in the bottom. The creamy dish is traditionally served chilled alongside cured herring, but these days it is more commonly eaten as a dessert, accompanied by fresh berries, jams, or whipped cream, with sugar or cinnamon dusting. Its sweetness varies in different parts of the Bohusl&auml;n region, ranging from very sweet or semi-sweet in the south to entirely sugarless in the north.

Äggost

Italy

This classic Italian dessert whose name translates to Easter lamb was supposedly first prepared in the early 1900s by Dominican nuns of the Collegio di Maria convent in Favara, Sicily. Agnello Pasquale is traditionally made with a mixture of almond and pistachio meal, which is flavored with either lemon zest or vanilla and often studded with candied fruit, raisins, and almonds. The dish is baked in a lamb-shaped cake mold and then covered with butter frosting. During Eastertime, you can find this traditional delicacy in numerous pastry shops throughout the country.

Agnello pasquale

A signature specialty of the Kr&ouml;nner Confectionery and Caf&eacute;, Agnes Bernauer torte is a Bavarian almond meringue layer cake filled with coffee buttercream. The cake is comprised of several light and airy almond meringue discs that are layered with coffee buttercream filling and roasted almond flakes, then finished off with a thin layer of cream coating and some more roasted almonds on top. This original delicacy was created to honor a young lady called Agnes Bernauer, Duke Albert III of Bavaria&rsquo;s beloved one, who was condemned to death by drowning in the Danube River by Albert&rsquo;s father, Duke Ernst. Apart from this special dessert, the tragic history of Agnes Bernauer had also been the inspiration of renowned Friedrich Hebbel&rsquo;s eponymous tragedy, as well as Carl Orff&rsquo;s folk musical Die Bernauerin. Mildly sweet and with a nice crunch, this classic sweet treat is available only at the Kr&ouml;nner coffee house located in Straubing and the one in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Agnes Bernauer Torte

Agra petha is a type of candied gourd often called the signature candy of the city of Agra. It is made from candied ash gourd, known as white pumpkin, wax gourd, white gourd, winter gourd, tallow gourd, or ash pumpkin. The gourd is cut into chunks that are soaked in a lime solution and are then doused in flavored syrups, creating a sweet treat with a crunchy exterior and a chewy center. This local petha variety is available in various flavors, such as saffron, coconut, or chocolate. It can be bought at numerous shops and stalls that are dispersed throughout the city. Petha was allegedly created by the royal chefs during the construction of the grand Taj Mahal.

Agra petha

Aiy&ugrave;bīng is a Taiwanese dessert drink comprised of a unique fig seed jelly. The process of obtaining the jelly involves placing the seeds of a special type of Taiwanese fig in a strainer bag, submerging the bag in cold water, and then rubbing the seeds continuously until they start releasing pectin, thereby producing a gelatinous substance. The fig seed jelly is consumed chilled, usually combined with lime or lemon juice and ice shavings, all sweetened with honey, sugar, or agave. With a perfect combination of sweet, mildly tangy, and sour flavors, this treat is a common dessert drink available at night markets, local stores, and numerous bubble tea shops. Light and refreshing, chilled aiyu jelly is a staple throughout the summer season in Taiwan, due to its cooling effect on the body.

Aiyùbīng

Slovenia

Ajdnek is a rustic Slovenian dessert consisting of soft buckwheat dough that is layered with a sweet walnut filling. The yeasted dough usually combines wheat and buckwheat flour in equal amounts, while the ground walnut filling is enriched with honey, cinnamon, and vanilla flavoring. In the past, ajdnek was mainly prepared for various festive occasions, and it is traditionally associated with Upper Savinja Valley.