Dessert

Commonly known as every Slovenian housewife's source of pride, potica is a traditional cake that is usually prepared for festivities and celebrations such as Christmas and Easter. The cake was derived from the older rolled dough cakes, and it was first mentioned in 1575. Originally, it was a cake reserved for the upper class, but over the years, it gained popularity with the peasants. There are around 60 types of potica, with various traditional fillings such as walnuts, hazelnuts, tarragon, honey, poppy seeds, and cottage cheese. Modern versions of potica even include chocolate as a filling. This dessert is a very important part of Slovenian cuisine, so much so that it was featured twice on Slovenian postage stamps. Today, the cake can be bought in supermarkets or consumed in numerous Slovenian restaurants, but it is said that homemade potica is still the best.

Potica

Australia

Potu is a Chamorro specialty consisting of slightly sweet rice cakes that are flavored with coconuts or tuba, a beverage made by fermenting coconut sap. The secret is to let the rice soak overnight in tuba and then finely ground it the following day. That same combination is flavored, sweetened, formed into balls or other shapes, then steamed until done. Potu is typically consumed as a breakfast snack, but it is also often present at various Chamorro fiestas.

Potu

Canada

The name of this Canadian dessert literally translates to unemployment pudding&mdash;it originated in Quebec during the Great Depression, and was supposedly created by female factory workers. Being strapped for cash, they would prepare this recipe with stale bread as the base. Today, there are two classic ways to make it, both of which use a basic cake batter and either a homemade syrup or the store-bought maple syrup. In one variation the batter is poured over the syrup, whereas in the second the batter is covered by the syrup. Over time, pouding ch&ocirc;meur eventually became a popular diner dessert, and one of the main offerings at Canadian sugar shacks.

Pouding chômeur

Pound cake is a British dessert consisting of one pound of each of the following ingredients: flour, butter, sugar, and eggs, hence the name. There is no leavening agent used in the preparation, except the air that is whipped into the batter. It dates back to the early 1700s, and because many people didn't know how to read, the simple convention made it quite easy to remember the recipe. By the 1800s, the recipes began to deviate from the original, and the ingredients were used in smaller quantities, resulting in a lighter, smaller cake, whereas the original was very big and could feed a large number of people. Today, people use leaveners to make it even less dense, while some cooks like to add chocolate or orange zest in order to enhance its flavors. There are also numerous variations of pound cake across the world, in countries such as the United States of America, France (quatre quarts), Mexico, and Germany.

Pound Cake

Poutchine au sac is a Canadian dish that originates from the M&eacute;tis peoples (one of Canada's aboriginal peoples). The dish can be translated as pudding in a bag, and it is made with a combination of raisins, currants, milk, flour, brown sugar, and beef suet. The combination is placed in mason jars or cotton bags, and it is then steamed. Before serving, poutchine au sac is often topped with a sauce consisting of cornstarch, sugar, nutmeg, and vanilla.

Poutchine au sac

Poutines &agrave; trou is a traditional dessert originating from New Brunswick. The crust is made with a combination of flour, baking powder, milk, sugar, salt, and butter or lard. The dough is rolled and the center is filled with a mixture of apples, raisins, and cranberries. It is then wrapped around the filling in order to form a ball with a hole on top. The dessert is baked until golden and a syrup consisting of brown sugar and water is then poured into the hole on the top of each poutine. Poutines &agrave; trou can be served hot or cold.

Poutines à trou

Croatia

Pože&scaron;ki fakini is a traditional cake originating from Požega. This peasant cake is made with a combination of flour, pork fat, egg yolks, cloves, cinnamon, sugar, baking soda, milk, fruit jam, and lemon juice. The flour, pork fat, milk, sugar, egg yolks, and spices are mixed into a dough that's spread out in a baking pan. The dough is then spread with a combination of fruit jam and lemon juice, and the rest of the dough is criss-crossed on top of the cake. The cake is baked in the oven, and once done, it's cut into squares and sprinkled with sugar before serving.

Požeški fakini

Pijanac is a traditional cake originating from the city of Požega. The cake is made with flour, eggs, egg yolks, fat, and sugar. The dough is then cut into pieces which are shaped into coils with a hole in the middle. After the cakes have been baked, the tops are dunked into egg whites and sugar, and they are then left to dry in the oven. In the past, pijanci were traditionally consumed in the afternoon while drinking wine with friends and neighbors, and the cakes used to be dunked in wine before consumption, hence the name pijanci (lit. drunks).

Požeški pijanci

Prăjitură cu caise is a traditional cake originating from Romania. The cake is usually made with a combination of flour, yogurt, eggs, apricots, sugar, oil, vanilla, salt, and baking powder. The egg whites are whisked into soft peaks and set aside. The egg yolks are whisked with sugar and mixed with the oil, vanilla, salt, and yogurt. Flour and baking powder are added to the mix, along with the egg whites that are folded into the mix. The batter is poured into a baking tin and the apricot halves are arranged on top before the cake is baked until it becomes firm to the touch. Before it's served, prăjitură cu caise is dusted with icing sugar and it's then cut into rectangular slices. The cake is especially popular during summer.

Prăjitură cu caise

Slovenia

This well-known dessert is a traditional dish of Prekmurje, Slovenia&rsquo;s northeastern region whose recipes have often been inspired by Hungarian and Austrian traditions. According to the Etymological Dictionary of the Slovenian Language, Prekmurska gibanica is a variety of potica, a layered strudel pie characteristic for the eastern part of the country. The name comes from gib&acirc;ničnik, a type of pastry basket, or gib&acirc;ničar, an old Slovenian word for a baker. The oldest written records of Prekmurska gibanica date back to the 1700s when it was first mentioned as gebanza, while another written source from 1828 described it as a dessert that is typically served at weddings. This interesting combination of different fillings and paper-thin phyllo strudel pastry is actually very common in Central European cuisine, but what makes Slovenian gibanica different from the others is the bottom layer, often made with shortcrust pastry. The fillings used to make Prekmurska gibanica are divided by butter-brushed pastry sheets and layered in this exact order: poppy seeds, cottage cheese, ground walnuts, and grated apples. Also, the original gibanica has eight layers of filling, which means that the layering is done twice, finished with another sheet of pastry, and brushed with egg wash before baking. Traditionally prepared during festive seasons, Prekmurska gibanica has a rich flavor, an intense aroma, and must retain its succulent sweetness without being too greasy.

Prekmurska gibanica

This Croatian pastry is a traditional delicacy that is mainly associated with the island of Krk. Presnac was created as a way to utilize the once abundant fresh sheep cheese and to create a unique, authentic dessert. The dish is assembled out of a pastry base that holds the creamy, lightly sweetened cheese filling. Though tradition suggests only sheep cheese, modern variations often replace it with fresh cow cheese and usually alter the filling with eggs and lemon zest. Presnac was traditionally prepared during the Carnival season, but nowadays the locals use every opportunity to make this specialty and to keep the tradition alive. Every year, a festival called Festa od Presnaci is held in the small town of Kornić, where the locals present their best versions of this traditional pastry.

Presnac

Italy

Presnitz is a flavorful Italian cake, a specialty of Trieste that is characterized by its visual appearance &ndash; similar to a rolled-up sausage. When sliced, the inner swirls become visible, revealing a dough made with flour, sugar, eggs, butter, milk, and lemon juice, and a layer of filling consisting of butter, sugar, raisins, cinnamon, and nuts such as almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pine nuts. It is believed that presnitz was invented in a competition for the best sweet to give to Princess Sissi, the wife of Emperor Franz Joseph, when they visited Trieste for the first time.

Presnitz

Peru

At the same time crispy and spongy, presti&ntilde;os are traditional Hu&aacute;nucan teatime snacks that are shaped into doughnuts, inspired by the similar Spanish treat called Pesti&ntilde;os. The dough is made with a combination of flour, baking powder, egg whites, egg yolks, and a pinch of salt. It is fried over high heat until it becomes lightly golden. These tasty snacks are often dipped in a glaze made with sugar, water, and lime juice before serving. Once prepared, it is recommended to let the presti&ntilde;os cool down until the glaze becomes dry.

Prestiños huanuqueños

Russia

Prianik is a Russian sweet bread or a cookie that is flavored with spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cumin, and anise. It is often filled with various fruit jams and caramelized or condensed milk. The first prianik was made only with rye flour, honey, and berry juice, while the spices were added later, by the 15th century. Today, the sweet bread is typically served with tea or coffee and consumed as an afternoon snack.

Prianik

Priganice is a popular snack originating from Montenegro. The dough is made with flour, water, oil, salt, yeast, and sugar. Yogurt or rakija are sometimes added to the dough so that it doesn't soak up much oil during the frying process. Priganice can be made in savory or sweet versions, and it is recommended to serve them warm, then pair them with fresh cheese, honey, fruit jams, or sugar.

Priganice

Prinjolata is a traditional cake that is usually prepared for a carnival that takes place the week before and the week leading up to Ash Wednesday. The name of the cake comes from the term prinjol&mdash;pine nut, which is the main ingredient in the cake. Shaped like a dome, the cake is made by combining glace cherries, citrus peel, and pine nuts with either sponge cake, madeira cake, or crushed biscuits. The assembled cake is traditionally decorated with meringue, cream, or frosting.

Prinjolata

This classic Swedish cake was originally named gr&ouml;n t&aring;rta (lit. green cake), due to its typical green-colored marzipan decoration. The recipe was first published in a 1948 edition of Prinsessornas Nya Kokbok, and it originally consisted of sponge layers coated in vanilla-flavored buttercream which were then topped with a thick layer of whipped cream and marzipan. It became increasingly popular in the 1950s, and it soon became known as prinsesst&aring;rta. This classic is a staple at every special event in Sweden and is commonly found in most pastry shops. Modern varieties are usually dome-shaped and come with an additional layer of raspberry jelly.

Prinsesstårta

Germany

A Bavarian specialty dessert called prinzregententorte is a smooth, chocolate-covered layer cake with a chocolate buttercream filling. The cake is comprised of thin cake layers that are smeared with chocolate buttercream and then finished off with a satin-like chocolate coating. It is sometimes enhanced with apricot or raspberry preserves and is usually adorned with whipped cream or chocolate cream and chocolate shavings on top. Originally, the cake had eight layers which represented the eight districts of Bavaria, but since there are only seven Bavarian districts today, the cake nowadays typically features seven layers. Prinzergententorte was created in honor of Prince Luitpold of Bavaria, who later became Prince Regent, thus the name of the cake. A piece of this authentic German dessert can be savored in numerous cake shops found throughout the region.

Prinzregententorte

Prle&scaron;ka gibanica is a traditional cake originating from Prlekija. This version of gibanica is prepared with curd cheese and sour cream. Other ingredients include eggs, flour, sugar, oil, butter, vinegar, salt, and warm water. The dough is rolled into thin sheets, then topped with a combination of curd, eggs, and sour cream in alternating layers. The last layer of dough is topped with sour cream and a bit of sunflower oil, and the cake is then baked until it's ready to be served. If desired, prle&scaron;ka gibanica can be (once again) topped with sour cream and sprinkled with sugar before serving.

Prleška gibanica

These chocolate-covered puff pastries are filled with either whipped cream, custard, pastry cream, or vanilla ice cream. Many theories exist about the origin of this dessert, but the most likely one traces it back to the 13th century, when the chefs who first created the puff pastry in France and southern Germany began filling them with savory cheese mixtures and herbs. Sweet versions of the dish followed, and by the 17th century, the small pastries were referred to as choux (lit. cabbage), because the pastries were visually reminiscent of heads of cabbage. By the mid-19th century, the puffs had become known as profiteroles in France and England &ndash; they were decorated to resemble swans or pyramids, and were often served with dessert wine, tea, or coffee. Regardless of the pastry&rsquo;s murky origins, one bite will be more than enough to answer your only real question &ndash; yes, they&rsquo;re delicious.