Dessert

Bahamian bread pudding is a traditional dessert made with stale bread, butter, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla, and raisins. The bread is soaked in water to soften, then combined with other ingredients. The concoction is baked until a knife that is inserted in the center of the bread pudding comes out clean. The dessert can be eaten on its own or served with a dollop of whipped cream.

Bahamian bread pudding

Often called Malaysian madeleines, these traditional sponge cakes are commonly enjoyed on various special occasions such as Chinese New Year and Eid al-Fitr (Hari Raya), which marks the end of Ramadan. They come in many different sizes and shapes, but the most popular are the small-sized buttons (bahulu-cermai) and goldfish (bahulu-ikan). Nowadays, these traditional treats come in many flavors that often include fruit, pandan, or chocolate. Interestingly, they have earned a place on the list of national Malaysian Heritage products.

Bahulu

Italy

Invented in the 18th century by a Venetian baker, baicoli are small, slightly sweet biscotti consisting of flour, butter, sugar, yeast, egg whites, milk, and a pinch of salt. The name baicoli, meaning sea bass, refers to the shape of these cookies, which is similar to that of a small sea bass, elongated and slightly flattened. Due to their prolonged shelf life, baicoli were also a staple on numerous boats and war ships. Today, they are most often served with coffee and a light, foamy dessert known as zabaglione.

Baicoli

Bakalawa bil jibna is the Libyan variety of baklava made with rosewater-flavored muhallabia and cream cheese. The filling typically consists of cream cheese, sugar, cornflour, milk, qashta cream, and rosewater. This baklava variety is doused in a flavorful syrup made with water, sugar, lemon, honey, and rosewater. It is recommended to wait at least 6 hours before cutting and serving this dessert. Unlike regular baklava, bakalawa bil jibna has a much lighter flavor, making it a perfect treat during the holy month of Ramadan.

Bakalawa bil jibna

Canada

Bakeapple pie is a traditional pie of the Canadian Newfoundland and Labrador region. Despite its name, there are no apples in this pie since bakeapple denotes cloudberries &ndash; sweet, bright orange fruits filled with seeds. The pastry dough is typically made with flour, salt, eggs, vinegar, and baking powder, while the filling consists only of cloudberries and sugar. Once baked, the pie is left to cool and set, and then it's ready to be eaten.

Bakeapple pie

United States

This timeless classic consists of a sponge cake base that is topped with ice cream, and the whole combination is then encased in lightly torched or browned meringue. There are many conflicting stories regarding its origin, but it is believed that a predecessor of baked Alaska might be omelette Norvegienne - a French invention that featured layers of cake and ice cream that were covered in meringue and then broiled. In the US, it is accepted that baked Alaska first appeared under the name Alaska Florida at Delmonico's restaurant in New York sometime in the mid-1850s. It was an invention of pastry chef Charles Ranhofer, and it originally consisted of banana ice cream, walnut spice cake, and meringue. Regardless of its origins, baked Alaska nowadays comes in many classic and contemporary versions that also include a rum-based meringue that is flamb&eacute;ed before serving and typically goes under the name bombe Alaska.

Baked Alaska

Bakewell flapjack is a sweet dish that blends two traditional English sweet treats into one - a bakewell tart and a flapjack. The bakewell tart consists of a shortcrust pastry filled with jam and almonds, while flapjack is an oat bar. This dish basically consists of three layers: a layer of oat almond crumble, a layer of fruit jam, and a second layer of the crumble. The crumble mixture is made with oats, plain flour, ground almonds, melted butter, and golden syrup, and it is typically flavored with almond extract. One part of the crumble is placed into a lined and greased baking dish, smeared with jam such as raspberry, strawberry, or cherry jam, and then covered with another layer of the crumble. The dish is finished off with flaked almonds and baked in a preheated oven until nicely colored and fragrant. Bakewell flapjack makes for a perfect dessert or a snack, and it is often accompanied by custards.

Bakewell flapjack

Bakewell pudding is a traditional dessert consisting of a pastry base that is filled with fruit jam and a paste made from ground almonds, butter, and eggs. The first Bakewell pudding was created by accident at a local inn around 1860. It is recommended to serve the dish hot and pair it with cream or custard for extra flavor.

Bakewell pudding

Bakewell tart is a traditional dessert consisting of shortcrust pastry filled with fruit jam and a combination of sugar, eggs, ground almonds, and butter. The tart is baked so that it remains light and moist, and it is usually served warm, with a dollop of cream or a scoop of ice cream on the side. The name of the dish is a corruption of the words bad (bath) and kwell (source), referring to the numerous wells that used to flow in the Bakewell area of Derbyshire.

Bakewell tart

The remarkable baklava is a luscious dessert created with layers of thin phyllo dough intertwined with chopped nuts, all doused in a sweet, viscous syrup. The popularity of baklava has long surpassed borders, regions, and ethnic groups to become a dessert whose origin and invention is claimed by numerous countries. It is probable that it has an Assyrian origin, dating back to the 8th century, from where it spread out throughout the region all the way to Greece. The Greeks altered the recipe and created the thin sheets, known today as phyllo dough, but modern-day baklava is believed to be an original Turkish creation. However, it is almost impossible to pinpoint baklava's exact place of origin, and the debate about its authenticity is still going on between T&uuml;rkiye and Greece. Traditionally, baklava is made with sheets of paper-thin pastry at the bottom, followed by chopped nuts which are then topped with additional pastry layers. The other traditional way suggests alternating layers of phyllo dough with layers of chopped nuts. The original and authentic baklava should always have a nut-based filling, most commonly walnuts, hazelnuts, or pistachios, but modern versions have introduced unusual fillings such as apricots, chocolate, and even ground cookies. The dessert is typically prepared in large trays, and it is then sliced into squares, triangles, or diamond shapes before being doused in a luscious syrup made with water and sugar or honey. Very often, the syrup is flavored with sliced lemon, rose water, cinnamon, or cardamom. It is supposed to cover the entire tray and keep the delicate pastry succulent, creating a sweet and juicy cover around it. Iranian or Persian baklava differentiates itself because it is drier and lighter than other regional varieties, and it is often flavored with rose water. Even though it was once regarded as a decadent treat that was mostly enjoyed by the aristocracy, the famous baklava is now a traditional pastry and a dessert offered in numerous Oriental, Turkish, or Greek restaurants. It is also often found in pastry shops across the Balkan region all the way to the Middle East.

Baklava

Albania

Ballokume is an Albanian biscuit originating from the city of Elbasan that was, and still is, traditionally prepared on Dita e Ver&euml;s, a pagan holiday celebrated annually on March 14, first only in Elbasan, and from 2004 throughout Albania as a national holiday. The necessary ingredients are simple: only butter, sugar, eggs, and cornflour, but when it comes to equipment, it is advised to use a copper bowl which will help in making the dough smooth and silky as it gets heated from kneading. Sweet and chewy, this traditional cookie is also called kula&ccedil; me finj as it may (optionally) contain finj, a mixture of ashes from a wood stove boiled in water.

Ballokume Elbasani

Syria

Ballourieh baklava consists of a pistachio filling that is placed between two layers of shredded kataifi dough&mdash;similar to the one used in kunāfah. This baklava variety is lightly baked because it needs to retain its typical white color. When baked, it is doused in syrup and left to set, and it is then traditionally served cut into large squares. Although it is believed to have been invented in Aleppo, ballourieh baklava is commonly found in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, and Jordan.

Ballourieh

Balouza is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert, often described as a milk-based pudding. It is made with simple ingredients like milk, sugar, and cornstarch, giving it a smooth and creamy texture. It is traditionally flavored with orange juice or orange blossom water and typically served chilled, often garnished with nuts or coconut flakes. It is a light, refreshing dessert commonly enjoyed during hot weather or after a rich meal.

Balouza

Banana bread is a moist, sweet American bread made from mashed bananas. Bananas first started to appear in the United States in the late 19th century, and it took some time before they started to get used in desserts. It is believed that the bread was first made in the 19th century when housewives discovered Pearlash, a chemical leavening agent. This bread became very popular with the rise of baking soda and baking powder during the 1930s. Although it is an American invention, banana bread is also very popular in Vietnam, baked in two varieties - baked banana cake, with a golden-brown crust, and banana pudding, or steamed banana cake. Along with bananas as the key ingredient, walnuts, pecans, cinnamon, raisins, or chocolate chips are also sometimes added to the bread in order to improve its flavor.

Banana Bread

One of the most popular sweet snacks in the Philipines is banana cue, made by deep-frying saba bananas which are generously coated in a thick layer of caramelized sugar. Because they are usually enjoyed as street food, the sweet bananas are often served on bamboo skewers. The unusual name stems from the term barbecue since caramelized bananas resemble pieces of golden-brown grilled meat. This Filipino classic is usually sold at street stands and enjoyed as a satisfying dessert or a quick afternoon snack.

Banana Cue

Senegal

Banana glace is a sweet Senegalese delicacy from Dakar&rsquo;s Les Cannibales Deux restaurant. A single serving of this dessert consists of four pieces of fresh banana, arranged in a single row on a plate, which are then covered with a chilled mixture of mashed bananas, heavy cream, and sugar. The dessert is then typically garnished with a combination of chopped nuts and candied fruits, such as black raisins, red cherries, candied angelica, almond silvers, and chopped peanuts. Also known as Mamadou&rsquo;s banana glace, named after the inventor/restaurant owner, banana glace is usually accompanied by a small cup of strong black coffee or espresso on the side.

Banana glace

Banana pudding is a sweet treat originating from the Southern United States. It typically consists of layered vanilla custard, sliced bananas, and wafers or ladyfingers. The concoction is then topped with either meringue or whipped cream. This dessert became closely associated with the American South after WWII, when numerous banana pudding recipes started to get published in newspapers. Nowadays, there are many variations of this classic dessert that is often seen at church picnics and family gatherings.

Banana Pudding

Bananas Foster is an iconic dessert created in New Orleans in 1951. It consists of bananas saut&eacute;ed in a combination of rum, brown sugar, banana liqueur, butter, and spices. When the bananas are slightly tender and begin to brown, cooks set the alcohol on fire with the famous flamb&eacute; technique. Bananas are usually served with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream. Because the process is so visually attractive, the dessert is often prepared alongside tables in most restaurants. It was invented by Paul Blang&eacute;, a chef from the New Orleans restaurant called Brennan's. He named it in honor of Stephen Foster, a local businessman who used to frequent the restaurant. Since 1951, bananas Foster rose in popularity, and it is still one of the most popular items on Brennan's menu.

Bananas Foster

Banana split is a classic dessert consisting of a lengthwise-cut banana topped with scoops of strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate ice cream. Typical garnishes include nuts, fruits, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. The dessert is traditionally served in a long dish called a boat. It was invented in 1904 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania by David Strickler, who wanted to make something "different" for a college student who had one day entered the pharmacy where he worked as an apprentice. The pharmacies often featured a soda fountain where customers could indulge in a soda or a frozen treat for just a few cents. Banana split has remained popular ever since, and there is even the annual Great American Banana Split Festival held in Latrobe, where the original soda fountain is still kept.

Banana Split

Baked bananas are a typical African dessert that is especially popular in Gabon. There are numerous variations of the dish, but it is usually prepared by dipping sliced banana pieces in a combination of eggs and orange juice, then rolling them in breadcrumbs. The banana pieces are then fried in hot oil until they develop a golden color of the exterior. The dish can be served as a dessert or as an accompaniment to main dishes. When served as a dessert, it is traditionally sprinkled with brown sugar and served with a dollop of sour cream.