Dessert

Australia

Chocolate fish is a New Zealander confectionery consisting of either white or pink marshmallow that is covered in chocolate and shaped into an elongated fish. It is a favorite of numerous children from New Zealand and also represents a reward for a well-done job. This sweet treat has been around since the 1950s, and today it can be found in groceries and convenience stores throughout the country.

Chocolate Fish

United States

In the beginning, Americans enjoyed Swiss cheese fondues accompanied by crusty bread. Later on, in the late 1950s or the early 1960s, a Swiss-born chef-patron named Konrad Egli created a sweet chocolate fondue in his New York restaurant called Chalet Suisse. The now popular Toblerone chocolate had a marketing campaign in the USA at the time, and Egli used it in the first chocolate fondue, which also incorporated heavy cream and Swiss kirschwasser. The dessert was an instant success, and it even made its way back to Switzerland, along with numerous other countries where it is still enjoyed as a decadent sweet treat.

Chocolate Fondue

Translated as chocolate cake, this no-bake Argentinian dessert was influenced by Italian cuisine and modeled on the famous Italian tiramisu. It is made with three Argentinian staple ingredients: chocolate biscuits, dulce de leche, and cream cheese. The cookies are softened in milk and layered with a combination of cream cheese and dulce de leche. The shapes of chocotorta can vary, while the biscuits can be soaked with chocolate milk, coffee, or even coffee liqueur. The most common theory about its origin says that it was invented as a part of a marketing campaign designed to promote Chocolinas chocolate cookies, and the recipe was included in the packaging. Chocotorta is rarely found in restaurants and remains a novel dessert outside of Argentina.

Chocotorta

Chokladbollar, or chocolate balls, are a classic Swedish no-bake treat made primarily from oats, sugar, cocoa powder, and butter. They are often rolled in coconut flakes, sprinkles, or pearl sugar for decoration. The dough is mixed and shaped into small balls before being chilled. Traditionally, they were known by a controversial name that has since been replaced due to its offensive connotations. In Sweden, these treats are popular year-round, while in Denmark, they are associated with Christmas. Variants include adding coffee or arrack for different flavors.

Chokladbollar

Bangladesh

Chomchom is a traditional sweet from Bangladesh consisting of milk that is cooked in sugar syrup. It is often flavored with lemon juice and cardamom powder. The sweet treat can be served in a few different varieties &ndash; with chopped nuts, malai cream, or grated coconut.

Chomchom

Mexico

Chongos Zamoranos is a Mexican dessert prepared with raw milk, egg yolks, and rennet tablets. The dish is ready when the milk curdles and develops a rubbery, sponge-like consistency, and it is then flavored with cinnamon and sugar. This dessert is traditionally prepared in earthenware clay pots (cazuelas), and it is served by topping the curds with sugar syrup that has separated in the pot. The word chongos in the name of the dessert means curds. Chongos Zamoranos is so popular in Mexico that it can even be bought in cans. It is believed that this dessert was invented in the colonial-era convents in the town of Zamora, hence the name. Nowadays, there are many presentations of chongos Zamoranos with different flavors, and people sometimes add liquor, coloring, or dried fruits into the dessert.

Chongos Zamoranos

Christmas pudding is a staple dessert at every British Christmas dinner ever since its introduction by Prince Albert. Early versions contained meat such as beef or mutton, along with wine, onions, dried fruits, and warming spices. Today, Christmas pudding does not contain meat, but fruits, eggs, suet, molasses, and spices instead of it, and every family has their own recipe for this steamed treat.

Christmas pudding

Fried bananas are a popular Vietnamese street snack usually made with small, fragrant, and ripe chuối xi&ecirc;m bananas. Before they are fried, lengthwise banana slices are flattened and then coated in a batter that typically combines rice and wheat flour, coconut milk or coconut cream, sugar, and various optional additions such as cinnamon, shredded coconut, flavorings, or honey. Fried bananas are best served warm, and they are occasionally sprinkled with sesame seeds and accompanied by coconut sauce.

Chuối chiên

India

Churma is a north Indian dish that is mainly prepared with various types of crumbled bread. It is especially popular in Rajasthan where it is made with baati (bati) bread, and Haryana, where the locals opt for roti, paratha, or puri. The fine crumbs are then mixed with ghee, sugar, cardamom, and (often) various nuts or, occasionally, dry fruits. The dish is usually finished off with melted ghee. In Rajasthan, churma is mostly enjoyed as a part of a dish named dal bati churma&mdash;a delicious combination of churma, dal, and baati bread. Churma can be enjoyed as a dessert, nutritious snack, or an accompaniment to savory dishes.

Churma

Ciambella is a traditional ring cake that is flavored with lemon zest, and sometimes a sweet, fruity liqueur. For holidays such as Christmas or Easter, ciambella is usually made from a firm dough that is braided and shaped into a ring, but there is also a smaller, doughnut version which is not prepared so often. Regardless of its size, ciambella must be ring-shaped. It consists of flour, butter, sugar, eggs, milk, and baking soda in its basic variety. Light and airy, ciambella pairs well with warm milk, coffee, and dessert wines. Due to its popularity, there are numerous versions of ciambella throughout Italy, and at least one type of ciambella can be found in almost every Italian region. Ciambella is so beloved in the country that there is even a proverb saying "not all ciambelle have a hole", a metaphor that means even when you do things correctly, you might not get perfect results.

Ciambella

Italy

A delicacy from Ferrara, ciambella or brazad&egrave;la is a traditional ring-shaped pound cake that can also be made in the form of cookies. Ciambella is flavored with anise and lemon, and it is typically prepared for Easter. According to tradition, this delicious treat is commonly enjoyed dipped in red wine.

Ciambella Ferrarese

Ciambelle all'uovo are traditional cookies from Lazio, made with eggs, flour, oil, sugar, and grated lemon zest. The preparation is somewhat unusual - first, they are tossed in boiling water and cooked until they come to the surface, then they are taken out and left to dry in the air. The next day, they are baked in the oven until golden brown. This cooking method creates a very interesting texture, a soft and almost spongy interior enclosed in a crunchy crust, which makes ciambelle all'uovo perfect for dunking - in milk or wine, depending on the time of the day.

Ciambelle all'uovo

Ciarduna is a traditional Sicilian pastry that is typically produced in Palermo. The ingredients usually include flour, sugar, vanilla, ammonia baking powder, milk, crushed almonds, yeast, and strutto (lard). When combined, the result is a fragrant almond cookie shell that is then filled with either mascarpone or ricotta. There are also other varieties of this sweet treat, some of them covered with a chocolate shell or chocolate frosting and powdered sugar.

Ciarduna

Malaysia

Translated as ring cakes, this traditional Malay kuih is usually associated with the Brunei Malay community in Sabah. They are prepared with rice flour and a combination of red palm sugar (niham) and coconut-based melaka sugar. Usually shaped into floral forms, the cookies are dipped in rice flour batter, then fried twice to achieve their typical crispy texture. They can be enjoyed as a dessert or a snack.

Cincin

Cinq centimes or five-cent cookies is a classic street food item that is sold in almost every food market in the country, especially in Dakar. To make cinq centimes, round butter cookies (or simple sugar cookies) are topped with a layer of peanut butter, then topped again with coarsely chopped or crushed peanuts.

Cinq centimes

Citronfromage is a creamy Danish lemon-based dessert. Although the name is derived from the French words for lemon and cheese, traditional and modern versions have never employed cheese, and citronfromage has more in common with a rich Italian pannacotta or a tangy French lemon mousse. It consists of eggs, sugar, cream, gelatin, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beaten egg whites and whipped cream are incorporated in the end, giving the dish its recognizable soft texture and a creamy consistency. Because it is usually associated with the winter season, citronfromage is typically refrigerated and served cold, while the top is traditionally garnished with whipped cream.

Citronfromage

France

Originating from the Limousin area in France and dating back to at least the mid-1800s, clafoutis is a traditional, crustless French flan, tart, or a type of thick pancake typically consisting of layers of batter and fruit. Its name stems from the French word clafir, meaning to fill. The flan is traditionally topped with pitted black cherries (although some insist that the cherries should be left unpitted), which lend their rich flavor to the clafoutis as it bakes. It is typically served warm, dusted with a hefty dose of powdered sugar, and sometimes with a dollop of cream on the side. If cherries are not available, the dessert can be made with any seasonal fruits, and there is even a savory version of clafoutis filled with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, prosciutto, potatoes, and ham.

Clafoutis

Portugal

Clarinhas de F&atilde;o are traditional Portuguese pastries from the village of F&atilde;o, in the Baixo Minho region. They are made from a very thin pastry filled with gila (chila) jam, which is prepared by cooking the shredded squash with sugar, lemon zest, and cinnamon. The pastries are shaped into half-moons or rectangles and then fried. They are sprinkled with powdered sugar after frying. These conventual sweets have their origins in the 19th century and were believed to be created in the Monastery of Santa Clara, becoming famous in the region due to local families selling them.

Clarinhas de Fão

This traditional Scottish dessert, called either clootie or clootie dumpling, is a sweet pudding steamed in a cloot, meaning cloth. Clootie is typically made with flour, breadcrumbs, dried fruit such as sultanas and currants, suet, sugar and spices, a little milk to bind it all together, and sometimes golden syrup. The Scottish alternative to a celebration fruitcake, clooties were originally prepared for holidays, birthdays, and during the winter solstice celebrations known in Scotland as the Daft Days. These special-occasion dumplings usually contained a selection of surprises hidden in the dough: a coin signifying wealth; a ring&mdash;marriage; a button&mdash;bachelorhood; a thimble&mdash;spinsterhood; a wishbone&mdash;the heart&rsquo;s desire; or a horseshoe, symbolizing good luck. Clooties are typically served with clotted cream and a dram of whisky, but when cold, even though these dumplings are quite sweet, they are often fried with bacon and eggs for breakfast.

Clootie

Clotted cream ice cream is a traditional ice cream that&rsquo;s associated with Cornwall, although it&rsquo;s sold in supermarkets throughout the United Kingdom. This ice cream is made with Cornish whole milk, eggs, and clotted cream. The use of Cornish clotted cream gives the ice cream a unique flavor and a velvety consistency. This decadent ice cream can be flavored with various additional ingredients such as vanilla, and it can be found in many bars and cafes across the region. It is also not uncustomary to add a dollop of clotted cream on top of the scoops of Cornish ice cream.