Dessert

In its basic form, Indonesian kolak consists of a sweet base prepared with a combination of coconut milk and sugar that is often flavored with pandan leaves. The varieties typically differ in the main ingredient, and the most common versions usually include plantains, sweet potatoes, cassava, pumpkin, jackfruit, or tapioca. Fruit and vegetables can be used individually, but they can also be combined according to personal preferences. This simple, refreshing dessert can be served warm or chilled, and though it is a staple during the month of Ramadan, it can be enjoyed throughout the year.

Kolak

Kolcheh Nowrozi are traditional cookies originating from Afghanistan. They're made only for Nowroz celebrations (Iranian New Year), hence the name. The cookies are usually made with a combination of flour, rice flour, eggs, rosewater, butter, salt, and icing sugar. The butter and sugar are beaten until creamy, then mixed with the eggs, rosewater, both types of flour, and a pinch of salt. The sticky dough is kneaded, wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated until it firms up. Later on, the dough is rolled into smooth balls that are flattened into disks and pressed with a fork to create shallow grooves on top. The cookies are baked until pale gold and firm. If desired, sprinkle them with ground pistachios before serving.

Kolcheh Nowrozi

Koldsk&aring;l is a popular Danish buttermilk dessert that is also occasionally enjoyed as a creamy drink. Even though there are numerous regional varieties, most of them combine buttermilk with yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla essence, and eggs. The dish is always served cold and it is mainly enjoyed as a refreshing summer treat. Although it can be eaten plain, it is traditionally complemented with crispy kammerjunkere cookies.

Koldskål

Poland

Kołocz śląski, also known as kołacz śląski, is a rectangular cake with a weight of about 5-6 kilograms, produced in four varieties - one without a filling, and the other ones with an apple, cheese or poppy seed filling. It is made in the Opole and Silesian Provinces in Poland since the 10th century when it was traditionally baked exclusively by skilled women who would let neither draughts nor men into the room while the cake was being made (it was thought to be magical!). It has a great role as a festive cake and it was even a guarantee that the newlyweds would be blessed with children if they ate it at weddings. Today, it is a custom to bring this cake to wedding guests a few days before the event. On the exterior, it is golden in color and sprinkled with icing sugar while on the interior it is either creamy yellow (cheese), dark grey (poppy seeds) or amber (apples). Its surface holds a crumbly topping with a delicious, buttery aroma. A true hero of the Silesian cuisine, it is an essential part of various regional festivities and events.

Kołocz śląski

Koloocheh are traditional Iranian cookies which are usually round-shaped and consist of a crunchy shell and a sweet, soft interior. The shell is typically prepared with the plain butter and flour dough, but it is also intricately decorated with a traditional stamp pattern. The most common filling is a delectable mixture of ground walnuts and sugar, but dates and grated coconut are also often used in some parts of Iran. The cookie is usually spiced with saffron, rose water, cardamom, cinnamon, or citrus zest, providing the unmistakable oriental flavors and enticing aromas. Koloocheh are an important part of every celebration in Iran, and they are the staple dessert served during Nowruz, the Iranian New Year festivity. Although they are traditionally baked at home, with each family having their unique traditional recipe, they can also be found already prepared in numerous bakeries and grocery stores. Although koloocheh is an ideal dessert for entertaining, served alongside tea or coffee, it is also often used as a delicious Iranian souvenir.

Koloocheh

Konpeitō is a popular Japanese sweet, a type of wagashi made almost entirely of sugar, characterized by its aesthetically unusual shape and colors. It was introduced to Japan in the 16th century by Portuguese traders. The word konpeitō is actually derived from the Portuguese confeito, a similar type of sugary treat. Konpeitō is usually handmade by heating and rotating a tiny lump of sugar, which is then layered with additional sugar on a daily basis until it crystallizes, and it takes anywhere between 7 and 20 days to produce it. Although the traditional konpeitō tastes like plain sugar, today there are also other flavors such as fruit and cider. It is commonly used in tea ceremonies and for making children's cakes. Konpeitō is also a standard gift for the visitors of the Imperial House of Japan, giving numerous tourists a unique souvenir to bring back home.

Konpeitō

Croatia

Korčulanske spomilje is a traditional dessert originating from the island of Korčula. These cookies are made with a combination of egg yolks, sugar, salt, lemon juice, and whole almonds. The egg yolks are whisked with a bit of salt, sugar, and lemon juice. Once the sugar dissolves and the mixture hardens, it is piped on a baking sheet, and a whole almond is studded into each cookie. The cookies are baked in the oven for about one hour before they can be enjoyed.

Korčulanske spomilje

Greece

Koufeto is a traditional sweet preserve or spoon sweet (glyko tou koutaliou) from the island of Milos. It is made by simmering pieces of local sweet white pumpkin in a mixture of water, sugar, and local honey, which is then combined with blanched almonds and lemon juice. The preserve is typically kept in glass jars, and it is sometimes flavored with cinnamon sticks. On Milos, this sweet specialty is usually associated with weddings and engagements, which is how the preserve earned its name the marriage sweet. Koufeto is usually enjoyed on its own, accompanied by a glass of cold water on the side to balance the sweetness. It is also often served with ice cream or yogurt.

Koufeto

France

Kouign-amann is a cake that originated in the 1800s in the French region of Bretagne. Its name is derived from the Breton words for cake (kouign) and butter (amann). The cake consists of layers of butter and sugar that are folded into a dough. Bretons claim that the cake is "the fattiest pastry in the world", due to its flaky yellow dough that is mixed with large amounts of sugar and butter. Although there are many theories about the origin of the cake, the most popular one says that it was invented by accident, when a 19th-century baker from Douarnenez wanted to save a failed batch of dough, so he added butter and sugar to the mix, creating the delicacy that we know today.

Kouign-amann

These crispy and buttery shortbread cookies are a classic Greek dessert. Even though some variations occasionally employ walnuts, they are traditionally prepared with a rich dough that incorporates ground almonds, butter, and various flavorings such as vanilla or strong brandy. They are usually shaped into crescent or round shapes and are generously coated in powdered sugar. Traditionally associated with festive occasions, kourabiedes are a staple Christmas cookie, but they are also associated with Easter and many other special occasions.

Kourabiedes

Kovrtanji is an old Croatian dessert originating from the Slavonija region. These ring-shaped donuts are usually made with a combination of flour, yeast, sugar, milk, eggs, oil, and salt. Once prepared, the dough is cut into circular shapes and left to rest and rise. It is then pressed in the middle with one's fingers in order to create a hole. The donuts are fried in pork fat on both sides until golden, and then drained on paper towels. Each kovrtanj is finally sprinkled with coarse sugar and served warm. In the past, kovrtanji were popular during the carnival season.

Kovrtanji

Slovenia

Kozjanska kruhova potica is a traditional dessert originating from the Kozjansko region. It's made with a combination of pulled pastry sheets, white bread, heavy cream, eggs, sugar, raisins, vanilla sugar, and milk. The pulled pastry sheets are placed into a baking pan and brushed with beaten eggs. It is then topped with milk-soaked bread slices and a mixture of cream, eggs, sugar, raisins, and vanilla sugar. Another sheet of pulled pastry is placed on top, brushed with eggs, and the potica is baked in the oven until golden brown. Once done, this cake is cut into slices and it's then ready to be enjoyed.

Kozjanska kruhova potica

Krakeling is a Dutch variety of a sweet kringle, which is itself a variety of a pretzel due to its shape. It is typically topped with sugar or cinnamon. When made in a larger shape, krakeling is traditionally consumed with coffee at funerals and cremations because its shape symbolizes the beginning and the end of life.

Krakeling

Kransekake is a traditional Nordic dessert consisting of a number of concentric cake rings which are usually shaped into a large cone or a tower. The crispy cakes are made with almond flour, sugar, and egg whites, and are held together with a white icing glaze. Even though little is known about the origin of this luxurious cake, it is usually associated with various festive occasions in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. Depending on the event, the cake might come in different sizes, and the center is often filled with candies, chocolates, and even champagne or wine bottles.

Kransekake

Krapci is a traditional dish originating from the Croatian region of Međimurje. These simple peasant cakes can be served as a dessert or a main dish. Although they were made with a variety of fillings in the past, nowadays they are typically filled with cheese, walnuts, and apples. The cakes consist of flour, eggs, milk, oil, yeast, salt, sugar, cottage cheese, heavy cream, lemon juice, grated apples, cinnamon, sour cream, and ground walnuts. Krapci are usually baked in a big wood-fired oven, and they are especially popular at festive events and similar social occasions.

Krapci

Krapfen was probably the first European-style doughnut to appear, followed by similar varieties in other countries. These pastries are traditionally prepared with leavened dough that is deep-fried until golden and crispy on the outside, while they remain soft, light, and airy on the inside. Though krapfen can be prepared plain, they are most often filled or topped with jams, and vanilla or chocolate custards, while the top is usually dusted with powdered sugar or drizzled with chocolate. The origin of the word krapfen dates back to 9th century, and the recipes in German can be found as early as the 14th century. The sweet versions of the pastry became predominant, and have remained closely associated with the Carnival, a festive period which precedes Christian Lent. Interestingly, during the Carnival, one krapfen in a batch filled with jam and fruit preserves might contain a filling of mustard as a prank. It is believed that doughnuts spread throughout many central European countries, which adopted the technique but used different regional names. Consequently, krapfen in Germany goes under Berliner, pfannkuchen, faschingskrapfen, krebbel, or kreppel. In Poland, they are known as pączki or krepel, Hungarians refer to them as f&aacute;nk, Slovak as &scaron;i&scaron;ky, while the Czechs use the term koblihy. In Slovenia, they are better known as krofi, while the standard name throughout Croatia, Bosnia, and Serbia is krofne or krafne. In St. Petersburg, Russia, the doughnuts are known as pyshki (either ring-shaped or without a hole), and there is a local caf&eacute; that has been serving pyshki prepared from the original recipe since the 1960s.

Krapfen

Kraya sat or krayasat is a traditional dessert that's often a part of Buddhist ceremonies as an offering to the monks. The dessert is usually made with a combination of sugar cane, sesame, coconut, peanuts, and sticky rice. This sticky and sweet treat is often compared to a granola bar, and it's typically wrapped in a banana leaf. Kraya sat is traditionally served during a national holiday known as Festival of Offerings to the Dead.

Kraya sat

The Hungarian version of the famous cremeschnitte goes under the name kr&eacute;mes, meaning creamy. It combines two layers of puff pastry held together with a generous amount of smooth pastry cream. Though the recipe has been slightly modernized, the classic kr&eacute;mes pastry cream should be light and airy, while the top is usually dusted with powdered sugar. Traditionally served cut into large, rectangular slices, the dessert is a Hungarian classic and a staple at numerous pastry shops throughout the country.

Krémes

Kremna rezina is a specialty of the Slovenian Lake Bled area. It is a luscious cream cake with a golden, crispy, buttery pastry acting as its base. The base is topped with flavorful vanilla custard, whipped cream, and a layer of thin, buttery dough. The whole cake is traditionally dusted with icing sugar and served sliced in cubes. The story of kremna rezina (or Bled cream cake) began with the arrival of chef I&scaron;tvan Lukačević to Bled's Park Hotel, where he modified the Hungarian cream cake by adding the right proportions of whipped cream into it, and in 1953, the hotel presented Lukačević's invention to the public. The new dessert was a huge success and became a popular tourist treat, with up to 3,500 slices sold per day. The authentic kremna rezina is not just a cake, but a piece of art &ndash; it is said that the pastry is folded seven times before it's left to rest, the custard is cooked for exactly seven minutes, and each cake is cut into a seven-by-seven centimeter square.

Kremna rezina

This popular Polish dessert is a variation of the classic cremeschnitte, a treat known under different names in many central and eastern European countries. In its simplest form, krem&oacute;wka couples vanilla-flavored pastry cream that is placed between two layers of thin and crisp puff pastry. While it is usually dusted with a layer of powdered sugar, some variations adapt the cake with an additional layer of whipped cream. In Poland, krem&oacute;wka is also known as Napoleonka, named after a similar French dessert consisting of three layers of puff pastry coated with pastry cream. In recent years, the dessert has been renamed krem&oacute;wka papieska to honor Pope John Paul II, who was a great admirer of this classic Polish treat.