Dessert

Mexico

Bionico is a popular Mexican street food item in the form of a fruit cocktail, originating from Guadalajara. Chopped fruits such as papaya, strawberries, cantaloupe, apples, and bananas are topped with a sweet cream mixture, granola, pecans, raisins, and desiccated coconut. The dish was invented in the early 1990s as a healthy breakfast meal. As its popularity grew, the dessert spread throughout Mexico and even to some parts of the United States. Today, bionico is mostly served by street vendors or it can be bought at numerous juice bars and ice cream shops.

Bionico

Germany

Birnen im teig is a traditional dish originating from Schleswig-Holstein. The dish is usually made with a combination of pears, butter, eggs, flour, baking powder, milk, lemon peel, Westphalian ham, and salt. The pears are peeled, cored, cut in half, and poached with lemon peel in water. The butter is creamed and mixed with the egg yolks, flour, baking powder, milk, and salt. The egg whites are beaten with salt until stiff peaks form, and they are folded into the batter. A baking dish is greased, lined with ham, and the pears are placed into the dish and topped with the batter. The dish is baked until golden, and it's then served while still warm.

Birnen im Teig

Italy

Biscette are fried, S-shaped cookies typical of Alassio, more precisely the Solva area. The origin of these crunchy, lemon zest and aniseed flavored cookies is linked to a legend from the 13th century saying that Madonna answered the prayers of local people and saved their small town from an invasion of vipers. Since that day, the locals celebrate the event every April by preparing these delicious snake-shaped biscuits during the traditional Festa delle Biscette, held in Solva.

Biscette di Solva

Bisciola is a leavened sweet bread made with a combination of wheat and buckwheat flour, along with eggs, butter, nuts, and dried fruit. Typically, raisins, figs, and walnuts are added to the dough. Bisciola hails from Valtellina, and it probably originated as a simple, peasant dessert. However, the most popular legend says that in 1797, when French troops were in the area, Napoleon requested a dessert with locally available ingredients. Following his demand, the chefs created bisciola. Often called panettone from Valtellina, this aromatic bread is usually served sliced and is best enjoyed with local liqueurs or dessert wines. Though it is a Christmas staple, it is prepared throughout the year.

Bisciola

Brazil

Biscoito de polvilho is a traditional, starchy, salted cookie from Brazil. The cookies are characterized by their round, puffy shape and a crispy exterior. The word from its name, polvilho, is derived from the Latin word pulvis and the Spanish polvillo, meaning fine powder, referring to the sour cassava starch, a key ingredient used in the preparation of these snacks. Biscoito de polvilho can be traced back to the 18th century, when it was prepared on farms in the state of Minas Gerais and served to the plantation owners along with cheese and coffee as an afternoon snack. Due to their unique flavor and airy texture, the cookies are so popular in Brazil that they can even be found at most supermarkets, or bought from numerous beach food vendors.

Biscoito de polvilho

Biscotin de Prost is a traditional cookie originating from Prosto in Lombardy. Although the traditional recipe is in the hand of the Del Curto family, it is believed that the cookies are made with a combination of flour, sugar, and generous amounts of butter. The dough is kneaded, wrapped in cling film, and chilled for at least one hour before it's cut into rounds and baked until golden. In traditional restaurants in the area, these buttery cookies are often served at the end of the meal.

Biscotin de Prost

These crumbly, buttery cookies use coconut as the star ingredient. The dough is prepared with a combination of eggs, sugar, butter, and grated coconut, and when combined, it is usually rolled into balls or flat discs. Biscotti al cocco are baked until golden and crispy and can be served plain or decorated with melted chocolate or powdered sugar.

Biscotti al cocco

This variety of Italian biscotti is prepared with cinnamon, along with standard ingredients such as flour, lemon zest, beaten eggs, sugar, and baking powder. Instead of butter, biscotti alla cannella are usually made with olive oil. When baked, there will surely be a delicious aroma of cinnamon in the air, and for the best experience, they should be paired with a hot cup of coffee on the side.

Biscotti alla cannella

Biscotti dei poveri are traditional Italian cookies and a classic example of cucina povera. The cookies are usually made with a combination of milk, eggs, sugar, olive oil, pine nuts, raisins, cinnamon, and dry or day-old bread instead of flour. The bread is torn or cut into pieces, soaked in milk until softened, and then processed or mashed until smooth. The eggs and sugar are beaten until creamy and mixed with olive oil, pine nuts, raisins, cinnamon, and soaked bread. The batter is placed into a pan by spoonfuls and baked until golden. Once cooled, the cookies can be enjoyed as they are or stored in airtight containers. There are a few variations on these cookies and they can be enriched with more nuts or grated orange zest.

Biscotti dei poveri

Biscotti della monaca are traditional Sicilian cookies originating from Catania. These S-shaped cookies were originally invented by the nuns of the Convent of Santa Chiara, who&rsquo;d made them according to a secret recipe. The cookies are nowadays usually made with a combination of flour, sugar, margarine, ammonia, milk, anise, and salt. The ingredients are kneaded into a dough that&rsquo;s formed into balls, wrapped, and left to rest in the fridge. It is then rolled out and cut into strips that are formed into S-shapes. The cookies are baked in the oven, first once for ten minutes, and then once more for about twenty minutes. These dry and crunchy cookies are typically enjoyed for breakfast, and they&rsquo;re often dipped in milk or coffee.

Biscotti della monaca

Biscotti di mandorla are soft almond biscuits or cookies that are prepared with a combination of finely crushed almonds, beaten egg whites, icing sugar, lemon zest, and almond flakes. The ingredients are combined into a thick almond paste which is then shaped into a desired form and baked until nicely colored. The cookies are typically sprinkled with powdered or granulated sugar, and they are often garnished with ingredients such as candied maraschino cherries, whole almonds, pine nuts, pistachios, or hazelnuts. They may take on different shapes including small round balls, disks, or S-shapes, and they're also often flavored with almond and vanilla extracts. These almond cookies are especially popular in the southeastern part of Sicily which is renowned for the production of some of the finest almonds in the world.

Biscotti di mandorla

Biscottini di Novara are traditional Italian cookies originating from Novara. The cookies are usually made with a combination of flour, sugar, eggs, salt, and corn starch. The ingredients are kneaded into a dough, and the dough is then formed into round or elongated shapes. The cookies are baked in the oven for about ten minutes, and they&rsquo;re left to cool on a wire rack afterwards. If properly prepared, the Novara biscuits should be light and crumbly, with a melt-in-the-mouth texture. It&rsquo;s recommended to serve the cookies with a cup of tea or a glass of milk for dipping.

Biscottini di Novara

Biscotti regina or the queen's cookies are crunchy, sesame seed coated biscuits that originated in Palermo, but nowadays can be found all over Sicily. Allegedly named after Queen Margherita of Savoia, these tasty treats are both sweet and savory in flavor due to the lightly toasted sesame crust which envelops the tender interior. Traditionally, reginelle are enjoyed dipped in sweet dessert wines such as Marsala or Vin Santo, but they are also wonderful when dunked in coffee, hot chocolate, or tea.

Biscotti Regina

France

Biscuit rose de Reims or rose biscuit is a traditional dessert that has been produced in Reims, France since 1691. Rose in the name of the dessert refers to its color, not its flavor. Since it is baked twice, the process gives it a characteristical crunchy consistency, making it an ideal accompaniment for champagne. Today, the biscuits are enjoyed with a cup of tea, or used as a key ingredient in the preparation of Charlotte cake. For a traditional touch, the biscuits are often dipped into a glass of champagne or local red wines. The original recipe is still a mystery, kept by Fossier's confectioners, who first started making these delicious treats. Although the biscuits consist only of eggs, flour, sugar, and vanilla flavoring, the preparation requires special expertise.

Biscuit rose de Reims

Biscuit Tortoni is a delicious dessert consisting of creamy custard ice cream flavored with crushed amaretti cookies (hence the biscuit in the name), topped with chopped almonds and cherries. Allegedly, it was inspired by an Italian immigrant to France, Giuseppe Tortoni, who introduced Italian gelato to the 18th-century Paris by serving it in his famous caf&eacute; Tortoni, beloved by celebrities such as Manet, Balzac, and Maupassant. It is unclear whether his world-famous caf&eacute; actually offered this creamy dessert or it was actually created in 19th-century New York as an attempt of local restaurants to imitate caf&eacute; Tortoni's charm and atmosphere. Nowadays, it is very hard to find this treat, but in the late 19th century it was extremely popular in the United States, a staple not only at every family-style Italian restaurant, but also at fancy dining establishments such as restaurants in the Waldorf Astoria or the Park Avenue Hotel.

Biscuit Tortoni

Croatia

Biskvit od meda is an old dessert from the Croatian city of Virovitica. It consists of eggs, flour, sugar, honey, and ground walnuts. After the ingredients have been combined, they are flavored with cinnamon and cloves, then poured into a baking dish. Biskvit od meda is baked on medium heat, and when done, it is traditionally cut into squares before serving. Although it is quite dry, this dessert was a real treat in the olden days.

Biskvit od meda

Bitterkoekjes are traditional Dutch almond cookies with a flavor that is reminiscent of the Italian amaretti, although bitterkoekjes have a chewier interior. The cookies consist of almond paste, sugar, and eggs, similar to macarons, so making them takes a bit of practice and knowledge as they can be quite tricky to prepare. Even though they can be made throughout the year, bitterkoekjes are especially popular during the festive Christmas season in the Netherlands.

Bitterkoekjes

Bizcocho de aceite is a traditional sponge cake. It's made with a combination of eggs, milk, sugar, flour, olive oil, and baking powder. The cake batter is typically enriched with lemon zest, then poured into a shallow tray and baked until golden brown. This olive oil-flavored sponge cake is cut into smaller pieces and dusted with icing sugar before it's served.

Bizcocho de aceite

This dark-purple dessert soup is a Swedish staple that is traditionally prepared with a combination of fresh bilberries or (optionally) blueberries, cornstarch, sugar, and water. It can be served hot or cold, depending on the season, and is often regarded as a health remedy. Although it is usually enjoyed as sweet soup, preferably topped with a dollop of whipped cream, it is best known as a beverage that is served during Vasaloppet - the world's oldest, longest, and biggest cross-country ski race that takes place in Sweden.

Blåbärssoppa

United States

These iconic New York City cookies consist of a soft, cake-like base that is covered in equal parts chocolate and vanilla frosting or fondant. Their origin is somewhat of a mystery, and one theory claims that they evolved from the incredibly similar half-moon cookies that are predominantly found in Upstate New York. However, these treats come with chocolate and vanilla base and usually have a buttercream topping. Others believe that black and white cookies originated as a separate dessert at the beginning of the 20th century, and the name that is often associated with its origin is Glaser's Bake Shop in Yorkville. To add to the confusion, in Germany, similar cookies are known as Amerikaners and are typically only vanilla-glazed. Regardless of its origin, the black and white cookie remains one of the classic New York City desserts that is found in numerous bakeries and delis across the city.