Dessert

United States

Originating in the early 1940s in the American South, black bottom pie is a sweet dessert consisting of a chocolate pastry cream that is flavored with rum and vanilla, and a crust made with butter, sugar, and crumbled cookies. The pie is typically topped with stiff meringue peaks or whipped cream, then garnished with chocolate shavings. When fully chilled, it can be served and consumed. Today, there are many version of this dessert with added coconut, lemon, strawberries, or bananas.

Black Bottom Pie

Also known as Scotch bun, or sometimes even Scotch Christmas Bun, this festive, pastry-wrapped fruitcake is nowadays eaten at Hogmanay and represents a true Scottish institution. It was originally introduced in the 16th century following the return of Mary, the Queen of Scots from France, and it is traditionally prepared for the Christian celebration of the Twelfth Night, a custom which ended with the Scottish Reformation. Although the filling composition has varied over the centuries, this intensely spicy and fruity cake typically contains raisins, currants, almonds, citrus peel, allspice, ginger, cinnamon, and the fiery black pepper, whereas black treacle is a modern addition. Also, all Scottish bakers use their own special spice blend, so the flavors of this decadent Scotch treat range from mild to strong. To indulge in it to the fullest, according to tradition, black bun is often served with a glass of Scotch whisky.

Black Bun

An integral part of Caribbean cuisine in festive times, especially around Christmas, black fruit cake is a unique dessert filled with nuts, dried fruits, warm spices, and burnt sugar syrup - giving it a rich and bitter chocolate flavor and a typical deep black color. Although the cake has numerous variations regarding the ingredients, rum is always mandatory. Black fruit cake has roots throughout the Caribbean, dating back to the 17th century when English settlers brought over their tradition of the English pudding, which was modified by the slaves and their descendants into a decadent rum cake over the years. Preferences are variable - some people like it wet and moist, others like it drier and nutty, but regardless of the texture, it is a staple at most Caribbean celebrations.

Black fruit cake

Blackout cake is a traditional chocolate cake originating from Brooklyn's Ebinger's Bakery, where it was first made in 1942. This rich, dark sponge cake is filled with thick pudding-like chocolate custard and topped with crumbs of chocolate cake. The ingredients used for the cake typically include dark chocolate, espresso powder, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and powder, butter, salt, sugar, eggs, and milk. Once prepared, the cake is often decorated with buttercream, but it's completely optional. Its dark visual appearance is a nod to the mandatory blackouts that happened at the time (WWII) in order to protect the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Blackout Cake

Slovenia

Blejska grmada is a traditional dessert originating from the Bled area. The base is made with eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and cocoa, while the sweet topping consists of milk, eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla sugar, heavy cream, walnuts, chocolate, and fruit such as berries. The base is usually softened with rum (or fruity liqueurs) and milk, and the dessert is topped with chopped walnuts and fruit, followed by another layer of the base and the topping. When served, this dessert is scooped with an ice cream scooper and once again topped with whipped cream or melted chocolate.

Blejska grmada

A dessert bar called blondie, although similar to a regular brownie, is made with vanilla and brown sugar instead of cocoa and has no frosting. Typically, the batter will be enriched with various nuts and either white or dark chocolate chips. Blondie is a dessert on its own, but it can also be served in sundaes, paired with vanilla ice cream and caramel or butterscotch sauce.

Blondie

A deep-dish fruit dessert which combines fresh or frozen blueberries with a biscuit crust topping similar to golden cobblestones, the blueberry cobbler is an invention which belongs equally to Europeans, American pioneers, and Native Americans. The recipe for the pie was brought from Europe to America, where, during the 19th century, it was simplified to a cobbler &ndash; a dish which was suitable for preparation on the road. The Native Americans introduced the blueberries to the pilgrims, and the blueberry cobbler soon became a popular main dish which later evolved into a dessert. Today, it is most commonly prepared for the 4th of July celebrations, since blueberries are then at the peak of their season, and serving suggestions include a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. July was proclaimed National Blueberry Month in the USA, while Canadians celebrate it in August.

Blueberry Cobbler

This true American classic consists of a thick, juicy blueberry filling enclosed between two layers of flaky, golden pastry. It first appeared in the written form in 1829, but its origin probably dates back to the early American pioneers. Even though it is traditionally associated with Maine, where it is declared as the official state dessert, the classic blueberry pie is a summer favorite enjoyed throughout the country, usually served with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream on the side.

Blueberry Pie

A mystery in the world of desserts, Blue Moon is an unusual, smurf-blue colored, sweet ice cream that tastes different to everyone who has ever tried it, and to make matters worse, its ingredients are trademarked and heavily guarded. There is a huge list of possible flavors: vanilla, lemon, pistachio, coconut, almond, marshmallow, bubblegum, pineapple, ginger, cotton candy, blue curacao, licorice, berries, or Froot Loops with milk. Its flavor might be a mystery, but so are its origins. There are two theories - one claiming that the ice cream was invented in the 1940s or 1950s in Milwaukee, and the other places it in Michigan, crediting the Sherman Dairy Products company in South Haven. Sherman had declined the honor, and the Milwaukee version trademarked the product. Whatever its origins may be, all agree that it is an original Upper Midwest treat with a unique flavor of its own.

Blue Moon

Bob Andy pie is an American pie with roots in the Amish communities of the Midwest. It consists of a pie crust, milk, eggs, sugar, flour, and cinnamon. The ingredients are simply combined together, and the filling is then poured into the pie crust. The whole thing is baked until the filling is set in the middle, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. As the custard bakes, some of the cinnamon might sink to the bottom, giving the pie a nice layered look once it's sliced. The name of the pie has an interesting story &ndash; supposedly, an Amish farmer said that it was ''as good as Bob and Andy'' once he had tasted it, referring to his two prize plow horses.

Bob Andy Pie

Croatia

Bobići is a traditional dessert originating from Dalmatia. The dessert is usually made with a combination of almonds (half of them are ground, and another half is roughly chopped), eggs, sugar, nutmeg, and grated lemon zest. The eggs are beaten with the sugar, and the combination is then mixed with the almonds, nutmeg, and lemon zest. The mixture is shaped into small balls. A finger is pressed into each ball to make a small indentation on the surface. They are placed in a beeswax-coated baking dish and baked at very low heat. These sweet treats date back to the 17th century and the name bobići is derived from the word for chickpeas, bob, referring to the visual appearance of bobići.

Bobići

Bocado de la reina is a cake-like bread pudding made with leftover bread, condensed milk, eggs, and bananas. It is especially popular in Panama and Guatemala. This cake is typically flavored with cinnamon, while raisins might be added for extra flavor. Although the literal translation of this dish means the bite of a queen or queen's bite, it is still unclear why a cake made with leftover bread would be fit for a queen.

Bocado de la reina

Japan

Bocchan dango is a multi-colored variety of popular Japanese dango sweets. It consists of three balls on a skewer, each one with a different color &ndash; red, prepared with red bean paste, yellow, prepared with eggs, and green, prepared with green tea. This dango variety is often associated with the city of Matsuyama, because the sweet treat appears in Natsume Soseki&rsquo;s 1906 novel Botchan. In the novel, the eponymous hero is a Tokyo academic who is posted to a school in Matsuyama, and he finds great solace in this dessert that now bears his name.

Bocchan dango

Italy

Bocconotto is a small Italian dessert consisting of a shortcrust pastry shell filled with various ingredients depending on the region. In Abruzzo, it is filled with chocolate, almonds, and fruit jam, while in Apulia, the tartlet is filled with black cherries and pastry cream. These sweet treats are often sprinkled with confectioners' sugar on top and are traditionally consumed at Christmas.

Bocconotto

Bojo cake is a tender Surinamese dessert with a smooth texture. This flourless cake is made with ingredients such as raisins, rum, cassava, coconut, sugar, cinnamon, eggs, coconut milk, butter, almond extract, and vanilla. The combination is typically poured into a baking pan, and it is then baked until golden brown in color. When served, bojo cake is cut into squares. It can be consumed warm or cold, and it is recommended to serve it with a dollop of whipped cream.

Bojo Cake

Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, bokkepootjes are traditional Dutch cookies consisting of a light meringue that is dipped in chocolate. The meringue is filled with butter cream or other ingredients such as almond paste or apricot jam. The name bokkepootjes means goat's feet, referring to the visual resemblance between the cookies and the hooves of a small goat.

Bokkepootjes

Bolas de Berlim are Portuguese donuts that are sliced in half, then filled with sweet and creamy egg-based custard. Fluffy on the exterior and thick and creamy on the interior, these donuts are typically rolled in granulated sugar before being filled with the custard. On the Portuguese coast, vendors sell these tasty balls on numerous beaches, and locals love to consume them while sunbathing. Although bolas de Berlim are typically filled with custard, they can also be ordered sem creme, meaning without the creamy filling.

Bola de Berlim

Bolas de fraile is the Argentine and Uruguayan version of a doughnut. It is made without a hole in the center, and the doughnut is usually filled with dulce de leche, then dusted with powdered sugar. It is believed that bolas de fraile is derived from a popular Germany pastry called Berliner Pfannkuchen. The name of these tasty doughnuts means balls of weakness, and it is said that the name was invented by anti-clergy anarchists who wanted to oppose a harsh regime that was imposed by the Catholic church.

Bolas de fraile

Bolinhos de chuva are traditional Portuguese and Brazilian sweet fritters. These easy-to-make pastries call for dough made of eggs, wheat flour, sugar, milk, baking powder, and salt, shaped into small balls and fried in vegetable oil until golden brown and crispy on the outside. When done, bolinhos de chuva are dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon. The legend says that the name (which roughly translates to "rain cakes") originates from the times when the whole family used to gather in the kitchen during rain storms and prepare these delicious treats. To this day, bolinhos de chuva remain a beloved snack or dessert (especially among children), tasty on their own but also often dipped in dulce de leche or chocolate ganache.

Bolinhos de chuva

Bolinhos de mandioca com mel is a traditional dessert originating from Cape Verde. It's usually made with a combination of eggs, molasses, oil, water, aguardiente liquor, and manioc flour. In order to prepare the dessert, whole eggs are mixed with molasses, water, oil, and aguardiente. The mixture is shaped into balls that are rolled in manioc flour. Once prepared, the balls are baked in the oven until golden brown, and the dessert is ready to be enjoyed once it cools down.