Dessert

Spain

Costrada is a traditional dessert originating from Alcal&aacute; de Henares. This classic dessert consists of sheets of puff pastry that are filled with pastry cream and meringue. The whole thing is topped with chopped almonds and icing sugar, then baked for a short while in order to roast the almonds and dry the outer meringue. Costrada was first made by two famous local confectioneries called Salinas and El Postre, but both of them are closed now. This dessert can be found in most of the city's restaurants. Before serving, it should be well-chilled, and when served, it's best to accompany the pastry by a cup of coffee on the side.

Costrada

Although it contains the term pudding, cottage pudding is, in fact, a single-layer yellow cake that has a sweet glaze or is poured over with custard, which gives the cake its mushy and soft texture. The cake is entirely North American in origin, with the earliest recipe dating back to 1863 or 1864, when it was published in a popular 19th-century women&rsquo;s magazine called Godey&rsquo;s Lady&rsquo;s Book.

Cottage Pudding

Country-style cheesecake is a variety of cheesecake that calls for the addition of buttermilk to the combination of cream cheese and eggs. Just like the New York-style variety, where heavy cream provides a smooth, dense texture to the cream cheese mixture, the buttermilk gives this version a firmer texture and a slightly acidic flavor. It also prolongs the shelf life of the cake. Country-style cheesecake is typically prepared in certain rural parts of the country and is not common elsewhere.

Country-Style Cheesecake

France

Coup&eacute;tado is a traditional bread pudding originating from Loz&egrave;re. It's usually made with a combination of prunes, raisins, day-old bread, eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla. A baking dish is layered with prunes and raisins, the fruit is topped with bread slices, and the bread slices are topped with a mixture of whisked eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla. The dessert is pressed down with a fork so that the bread is completely soaked in liquid. It is baked until the pudding puffs up and becomes nicely browned. Coup&eacute;tado can be served for breakfast, as a dessert after a big meal, or as a sweet afternoon treat. It's named for the coupet, a deep earthenware vessel in which the dessert was traditionally prepared.

Coupétado

Belgium

Couque de Dinant are traditional Belgian cookies, famous for their extra-hard texture, so much that they are traditionally given to babies to suck on while they are teething. Their tooth-cracking texture is achieved by baking the cookies at extremely high temperatures (300 &deg;C). These sweet biscuits consist of only two ingredients - wheat flour and honey in equal amounts. The honey caramelizes and hardens as the biscuits cool down, so it is not recommended to bite into them - they should be broken into pieces and allowed to melt in the mouth. The history of couque de Dinant goes back to a Roman savory cake called placenta. Over time, the savory parts of the cake were left out of the recipe, leaving the consumers with a hard, sweet cookie that we know today. Couque de Dinant cookies are also characterized by incredibly detailed, complex, and antique imprints made using a cookie board, so they are not only meant to be consumed, but can also be brought home as souvenirs, or even used as Christmas tree ornaments.

Couque de Dinant

Coyol en miel or coyoles en miel&mdash;translated it means coyol fruits in honey or honey coyol fruits&mdash;is a traditional sweet delicacy. It belongs to a group of Honduran fruit preserves called mielas, which consist of a variety of fruit doused in miel (meaning honey), a type of sweet brown syrup. This variety is typically made with coyol fruits (a type of exotic fruit from a palm tree) that are washed, peeled, and slightly crushed before they&rsquo;re simmered in sugar syrup. Traditionally, the brown syrup is made with rapadura or panela de dulce (unrefined whole cane sugar) and water, and it is often flavored with aromatic spices such as cinnamon, cloves, or star anise. Another ingredient that is commonly added to this dessert to enhance its flavor is dried coconut. Coyol en miel is usually served in small bowls, and it is typically accompanied by a cup of chilate, a type of sweet corn drink. In Honduras, this and other varieties of miel fruit preserves are traditionally prepared and enjoyed during Semana Santa (Holy Week), the week before Easter.

Coyol en miel

Mexico

Coyotas are traditional Mexican cookies that were invented in Hermosillo, Sonora in the 19th century. They are made from flour dough and filled with piloncillo &ndash; unrefined Mexican sugar. The name coyotas is literally translated to a female coyote, but it is also a Sonoran colloquial term for a female of mixed Indian and Spanish heritage. Coyotas are said to taste the best when paired with coffee or tea, and can be topped with a scoop of ice cream or dipped in milk like a cookie. Variations abound, so in addition to piloncillo, coyotas can be filled with caramel, dates, guava, figs, peaches, or pineapples.

Coyotas

Originally a harvest festival version of a much simpler oatmeal gruel, cranachan is a traditional cream cheese dessert that became prominent in the late 20th century. It is made with the addition of local soft cheese and often fresh fruits such as raspberries. The basic modern version of this dessert is based on lightly toasted coarse oatmeal and whipped cream, sweetened with either honey or sugar. In restaurant versions, cranachan may be made with a whole variety of different ingredients, including the beloved Scotch whisky.

Cranachan

Luscious cream pies are one of the most famous American desserts. Uncomplicated and refreshing, they are usually made with a crunchy bottom crust and a rich, creamy filling, all topped with generous amounts of whipped cream. It is not clear when and where the first cream pie was created, but in the 19th century, they started to appear in the most notable cookbooks at the time. Originally, the crust was made with a basic flour and lard or butter mix, creating a flaky foundation for the decadent filling. Nowadays, the bottom is also commonly made with crushed or crumbled cookies and graham crackers. Primarily, the filling for cream pies was only vanilla-based; it was a custard or a pudding-like cream, thick and lush, created with egg yolks and vanilla. Although a subtle vanilla custard is still the predominant flavor, numerous other varieties, primarily chocolate, have been introduced to become new American favorites. Mocha, butterscotch, caramel, and peanut butter are only a few of the most famous varieties. However, the coconut cream pie and banana cream pie are probably the most important kinds which have become hallmark desserts in the United States. Cream pies are usually associated with traditional American diners where they are prepared and served on a daily basis as the universal American dessert.

Cream Pie

Crema Catalana is a popular Spanish dessert made by baking a custard consisting of milk, cornstarch, and eggs in an oven. After baking and cooling, the dessert is sprinkled with sugar and broiled or burnt with a torch to create a crispy, burnt caramel top layer. Sometimes, crema Catalana may be flavored with cinnamon, lemon, or orange zest. The dessert is also known as Crema de Sant Josep, since it is traditionally prepared on March 19, celebrating the saint. It is also the oldest European custard dessert, dating back to the 14th century. Crema Catalana has such a distinctive flavor that it is often used in the preparation of other desserts such as ice cream and torr&oacute;, a nougat-like sweet.

Crema Catalana

Italy

Crema del re is a historic gelato flavor prepared and sold at a family-owned Mokambo pastry shop in Ruvo di Puglia. The gelato is made with a base that combines milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla, but the rest of the ingredients remain secret. The recipe for this gelato allegedly dates from 1840. As the story goes, a pastry chef Luigi Marseglia moved to Ruvo in the early 20th century to follow his bride. Marseglia was a pastry chef at the historical caf&eacute; Gambrinus in Naples, and in Ruvo, he shared his passion, knowledge, and the recipe for crema del re with Vincenzo Paparella. Vincenzo would be the one to open the Mokambo bar in 1967. Although the bar did close in the 1990s, it was reopened by Vincenzo's grandchildren and is currently still operating and serving this famed gelato flavor.

Crema del re

Espressino freddo or crema di caff&egrave; is an Italian specialty that is based on espresso. Although it appears in a number of regional varieties, this dessert usually incorporates espresso together with ice or some creamy ingredients such as whipped cream. The espresso is sometimes blended with ice, while some variations only used well-chilled combinations of espresso and cream. Some versions are firm, light, and frothy, while others have a more liquid consistency. This dessert is served in Italian bars, but it is also commonly prepared at home. It is mostly enjoyed in the summer, and it is easily tweaked with a dollop of ice cream, cream, chocolate syrups, or liqueurs.

Crema di caffè

Crema reggina is a rum-flavored ice cream that hails from Calabria. It is made with milk, sugar, carob, rum, candied fruit, chocolate, and Alchemers&mdash;Italian herbal liqueur made with rosewater, orange blossom water, sugar, herbs, and spices. This red liqueur gives the ice cream a distinctive pink hue. Some versions will leave out the liqueur and add food coloring. Crema reggina was an accidental creation of Pep&eacute; Caridi, a local pastry chef. The legend says that while he was preparing a custard, he made the mistake of adding too much rum, and though the outcome was not what he was hoping for, it resulted in a delicious combination that he decided to name after his hometown. This ice cream is listed as a traditional product from the region and is now available in other gelato shops. Crema reggina is usually decorated with candied fruit or melted chocolate.

Crema reggina

Crema volteada (lit. upside-down cream) is the Peruvian version of the Spanish flan and the French cr&egrave;me caramel, prepared with sugar, condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla essence, and eggs. The vanilla-flavored custard made with milk and eggs is covered in caramel sauce, making the dessert sweet and rich. This dessert is beloved throughout the country, and it can be served cold or at room temperature.

Crema volteada

This traditional egg custard dessert consists of egg yolks, cream, sugar, and vanilla, with a hard, burnt, toffee crust. The combination is cooked, transferred into ramekins, poached in a bain-marie, then well chilled. The chilled custard is typically set in wide, flat dishes, and is then topped with brown sugar which is either caramelized under a broiler or with a blowtorch. The origins of the dish are quite unclear, and England, Spain, and France all claim to have invented it. However, most food historians agree that custards were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, and recipes for custards circulated throughout Europe for centuries. The Spanish claim to have invented it in the 18th century under the name crema Catalana, while the English claim it was their invention from the 17th century, when it was known as burnt cream. At the end of the 19th century, the French term cr&egrave;me br&ucirc;l&eacute;e became popular, putting the dessert on the map from Paris to New York City. Regardless of its origins, this timeless classic remains a great example of simple, classical cooking &ndash; memorable, delicate, and flavorful, yet easy to make.

Crème brûlée

This popular dessert consists of a custard base and a soft caramel topping. The origins of cr&egrave;me caramel are unclear and disputed &ndash; the French, the English, and the Spanish all claim to be the original inventors of the dish. Although the name is French, some say that the French adopted it from English custard. When the Arabs brought sugar cane to Europe, Spanish cooks also discovered how to make a delicate and sweet custard, a historical exchange resulting in the creation of the famous crema Catalana. However, the French version is made only with whole milk or cream. Cr&egrave;me caramel is a star attraction in most European restaurants, as it is easy to prepare and can be made a day before serving.

Crème caramel

One of the best summer desserts in the world, according to a Miami Herald edition from 2009, cr&eacute;me de papaya consists of papaya fruit, ice cream, milk, and cr&egrave;me de cassis liqueur, typically served in a shallow bowl or glass. Mint leaves are commonly used as garnishes. This dessert reached the peak of its popularity in the mid-1990s, but its fame has somewhat diminished since those times. Cr&eacute;me de papaya is both easy to make at home and a popular dessert on the menus of numerous Brazilian restaurants. Since it does not store well, it is recommended to serve it fresh, immediately after preparation.

Créme de papaya

Cremeschnitte is a vanilla-flavored custard cream cake and an absolute classic among central and eastern European desserts. It is known by many names, most of which have stemmed from the German cremeschnitte, and literally translate to either cream slice or, in some cases, cream pie. According to Historical Sociolinguistics, it is believed that the origins of the cremeschnitte date back to the blend of two cuisines in the Austro-Hungarian empire. However, its Polish name Napoleonka indicates that this dessert might have possibly originated from the French mille-feuille, which is also known as the Napoleon - another pastry whose exact origin is unknown, even though its modern form was said to be influenced by improvements of Marie-Antoine Car&ecirc;me, the famous French chef-extraordinaire. Still, while the Napoleon is made up of three layers of puff pastry alternating with two layers of pastry cream, the typical cremeschnitte is made with only two layers of puff pastry held together by a hefty amount of vanilla-flavored pastry cream, which is sometimes topped with a thin layer of whipped cream. Cremeschnitte is most often simply sprinkled with icing sugar, but it can also be topped with a glossy and smooth glac&eacute; icing, and nicely decorated with a traditional chevron design. Two of the most popular cremeschnitte varieties include the aforesaid Polish Napoleonka or krem&oacute;wka, which was known to be the favorite dessert of Pope John Paul II, and Slovenian kremna rezina, the signature dessert of Bled; a popular Alpine resort settled on the shores of the eponymous lake.

Cremeschnitte

Cremolada is a popular frozen dessert from Peru, often described as a cross between a smoothie and shaved ice. It's made by blending fresh fruit pulp with sugar and water, then freezing the mixture. Sometimes, a bit of lime or lemon juice might be added to enhance the fruit's natural flavors. Once it's frozen, the cremolada is scraped or shaved into a granulated texture, similar to a granita or a slushie. Cremolada is typically served in cups or glasses and is consumed with a spoon or a straw. It's especially popular in the hot months as a refreshing treat.

Cremolada

Crempog or ffroes is a Welsh pancake made with a combination of buttermilk, butter, flour, sugar, salt, vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, and eggs. Once prepared, the smooth batter is poured on a hot-stone or a griddle, and the pancakes are cooked until golden brown on both sides. These pancakes are not the same as cr&ecirc;pes &ndash; they are much thicker, similar to American pancakes. Crempogs are typically stacked in a pile and smeared with butter &ndash; the stack can also be sliced just like a cake and consumed as a teatime dessert. They're traditionally served on Shrove Tuesday, and apart from butter, you can serve them with fruit jams, syrups, currants, bananas, or chocolate sauces.