Dessert

Dasik is a decorative Korean treat that is usually served as an accompaniment to tea. It was introduced to Korea together with the culture of drinking tea &ndash; which was initially only reserved for royalty and wealthy, upper classes. Regardless of its base ingredient, which may include rice flour, chestnut flour, black sesame, or beans, dasik is always prepared in specialized dasikpan molds, and comes in an array of different colors. Both the shape and the color are important in the preparation of dasik since they both often convey specific cultural meaning.

Dasik

Deep-fried Mars bar is a famous Scottish delicacy and a champion of the jokingly-called Scottish Diet, where the rule is that sugar, fat, and alcohol must each account for at least 30% of a person's daily caloric intake. The unusual snack was invented in 1992 by the employees of the Carron fish bar in Stonehaven, a place where the popular fish and chips are served, and the deep-fried Mars chocolate bar (nougat and caramel coated in milk chocolate) is made in the same oil that the fish and chips were fried in. However, this dessert became a Scottish tradition and was then copied in chip shops all across the country, and it even spread to Canada and Australia. One batter fits all - fish, chips, and the Mars bar. The batter is made by mixing milk, flour, and eggs. A chilled Mars bar is completely coated in batter, lowered into hot oil, then fried until the batter develops a golden brown color. It is a controversial delicacy, with mostly empty calories, high fat, and little nutritional value, but, as it turns out, the bars are delicious to some, as the savory flour mixes with the sugar, the batter elevates the crispy texture, and the salt and caramel meet on the palate, resulting in a delicious contrast of crispiness and chewiness.

Deep-Fried Mars Bar

Italy

This refreshing Italian treat hails from Sorrentino, but it has been officially recognized as a traditional dessert of the entire Campania. Delizia al limone consists of a dome-shaped sponge base that is drizzled with an aromatic limoncello-based syrup and comes filled with a lemon-flavored custard. Although it can be made in the form of a classic, round cake, delizia is usually served as small, single-serve dessert. It is coated in a lemon glaze, while the top is traditionally decorated with lemon slices, lemon zest, or wild strawberries. This tangy treat is a fairly recent invention that was first created in 1978 by a pastry chef Carmine Marzuillo.

Delizia al limone

Japan

Denpun is a dango variety originating from Hokkaido, known for its cold winters. This sweet treat is made with potato flour and boiled sweet beans, and it's typically consumed as a filling snack. It is believed that denpun dango was first prepared at the end of World War II. Nowadays, it makes for a great souvenir when visiting Hokkaido.

Denpun dango

United States

Dessert bars are one of the most versatile American sweet treats. Their texture is described as a mix of the classic American brownie and traditional chewy cookies. They are usually baked in trays, then cut into square shapes before serving. The foundation of every dessert bar is the crust, which is usually topped with a scrumptious topping or a filling, and often finished with an additional layer on top. Plain butter and flour crust is often employed in dessert bars, but crumbled cookie crust and thin sponge cakes are also common. The list of ingredients used as a dessert bar topping or filling is rather extensive. It usually includes creamy citrus-flavored fillings, chocolate, caramel, nuts, fruit, peanut butter, cream cheese, chocolate chips, pretzels, or cookie dough. The ingredients may be used individually, as the famous lemon bars, or they can be mixed, like the popular chocolate and peanut butter combination. Some varieties such as cheesecake bars don&rsquo;t require a topping, but usually, most types are finished with an additional layer. Dark chocolate, sliced nuts, crumble, powdered sugar, coconut flakes, oats, and marshmallows are just some of many options which appear on top of dessert bars. They provide a more decorative appearance and affect the final texture. Dessert bars are considered as a plain, everyday dessert, often eaten without any utensils. It is a favorite American portable dessert, often taken to picnics and traditional American barbecues.

Dessert Bars

As decadently dark, sinful, and tempting as its name implies, devil's food cake was invented in the early 1900s as an antipode to the already famed angel food cake. It emerged at a time when baking chocolate and unsweetened cocoa powder became readily available and affordable, and has been an all-time favorite ever since. Among a number of other chocolate-battered cakes, the first recipes actually dubbed devil's food appeared in 1902, one published in Mrs. Rorer's New Cook Book, and the other in The New Dixie Receipt Book in which it was slyly subtitled "Fit for Angels". By the 1950s, Devil's food had become one of the most popular Betty Crocker cake mix flavors, and today it even has its own national holiday celebrated annually on May 19th. Devilishly delicious, this classic American dessert is made with copious amounts of dark chocolate and features a rich, velvety buttercream frosting which makes its seductive lusciousness pretty hard to resist. Devil's food cake remains an ultimate indulgence for any occasion, be it a dinner party, birthday celebration, or simply a perfect ending to a family meal.

Devil's Food Cake

Dhonkeyo kajuru is a traditional snack originating from the Maldives. These fritters are made with a combination of ripe bananas, grated coconut, sugar, flour, baking powder, vanilla, and oil. The bananas are mashed and mixed with the rest of the ingredients. The mixture is shaped into balls or it's scooped up with a teaspoon and dropped into hot oil to deep-fry until golden brown. The oil shouldn't be too hot as the fritters will burn easily. Once done, dhonkeyo kajuru is drained and served &ndash; the fritters should be crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.

Dhonkeyo kajuru

Dilber dudağı is a traditional dessert consisting of layered phyllo pastry filled with nuts and soaked in honey. It's prepared with a combination of milk, hazelnuts and walnuts, eggs, butter, oil, lemon juice, flour, sugar, and baking powder. The dough is usually shaped into half-moons, then cooked until golden brown and drizzled with sugar syrup or honey. The name of the dish means a beautiful woman's lips, referring to its unique shape and visual appearance.

Dilber dudağı

Dios torta is a traditional chocolate sponge cake originating from Hungary. It consists of a walnut sponge and layers of chocolate buttercream. The walnut sponge cake is made with a mixture of eggs, sugar, ground walnuts, baking powder, flour, and lemon zest. The chocolate buttercream is made with a combination of egg yolks, milk, sugar, chocolate, butter, and vanilla. The sponge and the buttercream are layered and stacked, and the cake is then garnished with walnuts and chocolate shavings on top.

Dios torta

This delicious Greek dessert consists of thin pastry sheets that are rolled, deep-fried, and doused or drizzled with a thick, honey-based syrup. These pastries can be wrapped into various shapes and are often sprinkled with nuts and dusted with cinnamon. Especially popular on the island of Peloponnese, they are a Greek classic that is usually prepared on special occasions.

Diples

Dirt cake is a no-bake dessert made with Oreo cookies, pudding, and whipped cream on top. The name of the dish refers to the fact that the cake has a rough, messy, and dirty look. Often, gummy worms are placed on top of the cake along with the whipped cream, acting as a decoration. There are numerous variations on the cake, including ingredients such as vanilla wafers, cream cheese, and various flavored puddings. Although not much is known about the origins of dirt cake, it gained popularity in the 1970s, and today it remains a staple of children's parties because it's fun and easy to make. Because it is always served cold, it can also act as a substitute for ice cream, especially on hot summer nights. Interestingly, some like to serve this unique cake in a flower pot or a bucket.

Dirt Cake

Divinity or Southern candy is a traditional fudge made with three essential ingredients &ndash; corn syrup, whipped egg whites, and sugar. The combination is cooked and whipped until it holds its shape, and it can be additionally enriched with vanilla, dried fruit, and pecans. The candies are left to cool before eating them, but they can also be stored in airtight containers for up to 2 weeks. You can never make this candy on a damp day because the humidity must be low enough in order for divinity to dry properly. It is believed that the first divinity candy was made in the early 20th century, and the first person who tasted it declared it to be "Divine!", hence the name.

Divinity

This layered dessert, inspired by the famous Hungarian Dobos cake, was invented by a New Orleans baker and pastry chef Beulah Levy Ledner in the 1930s. A Louisiana favorite ever since, Doberge cake is usually filled with either chocolate, lemon, or caramel custard, and is then covered with a thin layer of buttercream and fondant icing or, alternatively, a silky ganache glaze. In 1946, Ledner sold her business and the original recipe to Joe Gambino whose New Orleans bakery continues to make the popular cake even today.

Doberge Cake

Dobostorta is a round cake consisting of six thin sponge cake layers and five layers of chocolate buttercream. As an attempt to make a cake that would be able to keep longer than usual, the Hungarian confectioner named J&oacute;zsef C. Dobos first introduced the Dobostorta at the National General Exhibition of Budapest in 1885. To prevent it from drying out, the cake also has a glistening layer of hard caramel on top, while the sides are often coated with ground nuts. Before it hardens, the layer of caramel should be cut into slices with a special Dobos knife, and the pieces of caramel are then arranged on top of the cake. Interestingly, Dobostorta had inspired the chocolate or lemon flavored New Orleans creation known as doberge cake, which was first made in the 1920s by Beulah Ledner.

Dobostorta

Doce de leite is a traditional Latin American sweet made from milk and sugar, similar to caramel but creamier and thicker. The mixture is simmered until it thickens and develops a rich, golden color. It can be spread on bread, used as a filling for cakes and pastries, or enjoyed on its own. Additionally, doce de leite can be flavored with grated coconut, cinnamon, and cocoa powder, which are added in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Doce de leite is widely popular in Brazil, while in Argentina and Uruguay, it is called the dulce de leche.

Doce de leite

Portugal

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Doce fino is a traditional sweet from the Algarve region made with almond paste, sugar, and egg yolks. The sweet is often shaped into a variety of forms, such as fruits, animals, or flowers, and then brightly painted with food coloring to look like the real thing. The artistic presentation of these sweets is a significant part of the tradition, and they're often made to look very realistic and intricate. The flavor of doce fino is sweet and almondy, and the texture is typically soft and slightly chewy. The use of almonds in this and other traditional Algarve sweets is influenced by the region's history, as almond trees are plentiful in the Algarve and were widely used in the local cuisine during the period of Moorish rule. Doce fino is particularly popular during holidays and special occasions, such as weddings and religious festivals. They're often presented as gifts or used as decorative elements on the dessert table. 
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Doce Fino

Doces de ovos is a type of sweet egg cream made with egg yolks and simple sugar syrup (a cooked mixture of sugar and water). It is often used as a cake filling or a topping for desserts. Because yolks tend to curdle if the temperature is too high, the cream has to be cooked over low temperature and in a bain-marie. The custard can also be seasoned with different spices, such as vanilla, lemon peel, and cinnamon.

Doces de ovos

This sweet, sticky treat is prepared with a base of coconut milk, jaggery, and rice flour. It is characterized by its dense, chewy texture, and is typically cut into squares, strips, or diamonds. Common in many countries in Southeast Asia, dodol is prepared for various religious festivals and comes in many flavor combinations such as vanilla, durian, mango, apple, pineapple, and coconut. Although it is also factory-produced, homemade varieties are still common. The history and origin of dodol are vague, but it is considered to be one of the oldest desserts found in maritime Asia.

Dodol

Dolce con miele e noci is a traditional dessert originating from Tuscany. It&rsquo;s usually made with a combination of honey, flour, sugar, white wine, olive oil, walnuts, orange zest, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and black pepper. The honey is mixed with sugar, salt, flour, olive oil, wine, and black pepper. The mixture is simmered in a pan until it becomes thick. The walnuts, cinnamon, cloves, and orange zest are then mixed into the batter, and the mixture is left to cool down slightly before it&rsquo;s shaped into short sticks. These honey-nut sticks are typically served at room temperature. It&rsquo;s recommended to use Orvieto or Vernaccia di San Gimignano when choosing the white wine to make this sweet treat.

Dolce con miele e noci

Dolce di castagne is a traditional chestnut cake originating from Tuscany. The cake is usually made with a combination of chestnut flour, yeast, sugar, salt, butter, eggs, breadcrumbs, milk, and lemon juice. The eggs are mixed with sugar, lemon juice, milk, chestnut flour, salt, and dissolved yeast. The dough is placed into a buttered baking pan that&rsquo;s been dusted with breadcrumbs, and it&rsquo;s left to rise for about two hours. Once risen, the cake is baked in the oven for more than half an hour or until it becomes browned. After it cools down slightly, dolce di castagne is cut into slices and served on individual plates.