Dessert

This baked dessert is made with a base layer of shortcrust pastry that is topped with lemon custard and fluffy meringue. The custard is usually made with a combination of lemon zest and juice, sugar, egg yolks, and (sometimes) starch. The origins of this sweet treat are murky and mysterious &ndash; some credit Elizabeth Coane Goodfellow of Philadelphia as the inventor, but her 18th-century recipe mentions lemon pudding, while the meringue is used in minimal amounts, as an accent. Other sources say that the first recorded recipe was written by Alexander Frehse, a Swiss baker, and some suggest that the botanist Emile Campbell-Browne had a similar recipe in Wigbeth, Dorset, in 1875. Regardless of the origins, lemon meringue pie has been the favorite of presidents, and it even has its own day &ndash; August 15, known as National Lemon Meringue Pie Day.

Tarte au citron meringuée

France

Tarte aux brimbelles is a traditional tart that's especially popular in Vosges and Belfort. The pastry dough is made with a combination of flour, butter, sugar, salt, egg yolks, and cold water, while the filling consists of wild blueberries, eggs, sugar, cr&egrave;me fra&icirc;che, and either crumbled cookies or semolina. The dough is covered with plastic wrap and chilled. After an hour, it's rolled out and the blueberries are spread on top. The tart is baked for twenty minutes. A mixture of sugar, eggs, and cr&egrave;me fra&icirc;che is poured over the blueberries and the tart is baked for another twenty minutes before serving.

Tarte aux brimbelles

While the traditional version couples only two elements, shortcrust pastry or p&acirc;te bris&eacute;e and juicy mirabelle plums, modern varieties of this classic occasionally place the plums on a bed of pastry cream or creamy custards. Before baking, the tart is sprinkled with powdered sugar (alternatively, the top can be drizzled with mirabelle brandy), and it is then caramelized under a broiler or with a blowtorch. This autumnal French dessert is often associated with the regions of Lorraine and Alsace, where mirabelle plums are traditionally grown. Because their season is very short, they are a prized ingredient in the French cuisine.

Tarte aux mirabelles

Tarte aux pralines, or praline tart, is a traditional dessert that hails from the Lyon region. It is celebrated for its vibrant pink color and sweet, nutty flavor. The tart consists of a buttery, flaky pastry crust, typically made from a shortcrust pastry (p&acirc;te sucr&eacute;e), filled with a mixture of crushed pink pralines and heavy cream. To prepare the pastry crust, you mix flour, sugar, and butter to form a dough, which is then chilled, rolled out, and fitted into a tart pan. The crust is blind-baked until golden. For the praline filling, pink pralines are crushed into small pieces and heated with heavy cream until melted and combined. This mixture is then poured into the pre-baked tart shell. The tart is baked until the filling is set, and it is allowed to cool completely before serving to let the filling solidify. Tarte aux pralines is often enjoyed as a dessert or a sweet treat with coffee.

Tarte aux pralines

The tarte Bourdaloue, also known as pear almond tart, is a classic French pastry created in the late 19th century. Named after Bourdaloue Street in Paris, where its inventor was based, the tart typically consists of poached pear halves placed on a shortcrust pastry filled with frangipane or almond cream. The dessert has developed variations such as poached fruits on rice or semolina pudding. This tart showcases the rich flavors of pears and the creamy texture of almond filling, often enjoyed as a delectable treat in French cuisine.

Tarte Bourdaloue

This French classic hails from Normandy, a region famous not only for apples but also for its Calvados apple liqueur, both of which are essential ingredients of tarte Normande and make the perfect match for the delicately sweet almond frangipane cream filling, while the base is made with p&acirc;te bris&eacute;e or shortcrust pastry. Norman apple tart is typically served with a dollop of cr&egrave;me fra&icirc;che on the side, and it is best enjoyed while still warm.

Tarte Normande

A decadent version of the classic apple pie, tarte Tatin consists of sliced apples seasoned with butter, sugar, and cinnamon, topped with a buttery pie crust pastry, and baked until the apples become golden and syrupy. The whole cake is then inverted upside-down on a serving platter. The name of this dessert honors the Tatin sisters, the owners of a restaurant near the city of Orl&eacute;ans who invented the recipe in the early 1900s. However, the cake gained huge popularity when the famous Maxim's Restaurant put it on their menu. Tarte Tatin is best served warm, accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and topped with some cr&eacute;me fra&icirc;che that melts on contact.

Tarte tatin

Tarte trop&eacute;zienne is a French dessert consisting of a brioche pastry, usually orange flavored, which is cut in half and filled with a creamy filling. Since the original recipe is a secret, fillings may vary, including pastry cream, buttercream, cr&egrave;me diplomat, or other pastry cream varieties. The top is usually decorated with sliced almonds, pearl sugar, or a thin layer of powdered sugar. The recipe for this cream-filled brioche has arrived in France with the Polish pastry chef named Alexandre Micka in 1950. In 1955, during the filming of a famous movie in Saint-Tropez, Micka was supplying the entire crew with his food, and when he offered his brioche invention to the renowned actress Brigitte Bardot, she named the dessert pie de Saint-Tropez. Micka later patented his invention under the name tarte trop&eacute;zienne. and the original recipe has not been revealed up to this day.

Tarte tropezienne

Italy

Tartufo is a dome-shaped, frozen Italian dessert that is prepared with various gelato flavors that are sculpted around different fillings. Although the original tartufo hails from Pizzo and combines dark chocolate filling, hazelnut ice cream, and cocoa powder, this classic nowadays comes in a number of modern versions that significantly differ from the original. Any gelato flavor can be used in its preparation, and while the fillings may include fruits, cookies, or maraschino cherries, the coatings range from chocolate shells, ground or chopped nuts, cookie crumbs, or desiccated coconut.

Tartufo

This classic Italian ice cream dessert hails from Pizzo, Calabria. It was supposedly invented in 1952, in Gelateria Dante, by a gelataio named Giuseppe De Maria, better known as Don Pippo. He used his hands to mold a mixture of chocolate and hazelnut gelato around a melted dark chocolate filling, then rolled it in some bitter cocoa powder. This frozen dessert is recognized as a traditional agricultural product of the region, and it has influenced the creation of many modern varieties that combine different types of gelato or additions such as almonds, walnuts, and even maraschino cherries.

Tartufo di Pizzo

Croatia

Ta&scaron;ke (or ta&scaron;ci, tačke, tačkrli, lit. little purses) is a traditional dessert originating from the Slavonija and Baranja region, but it's also popular in northern parts of Croatia and neighboring Serbia (especially Vojvodina) and southern Hungary. The dough is made with a combination of flour and water. It is rolled into thin sheets that are filled with plum jam and joined together before they're boiled in water until soft. Once cooked, the ta&scaron;ke are traditionally served with three toppings &ndash; granulated sugar, poppy seeds, and ground walnuts. If desired, breadcrumbs can also be used as a topping for even more flavor and texture.

Taške

Australia

Apples are one of the most important crops in Tasmania, and this simple apple cake is a classic Tasmanian sweet treat that uses sweet apples, tart apples, or a combination of both varieties. The cake is made with a batter of flour, sugar, eggs, melted butter, and baking powder that is combined with sliced or diced apples flavored with cinnamon and lemon juice and zest. The combination is then baked until nicely colored and firm, but still moist. This sponge-like cake can be enhanced with ingredients such as raisins, currants, sultanas, and Tasmanian walnuts, and it is usually sprinkled with cinnamon or icing sugar before serving. Slices of this decadent apple cake can be enjoyed for breakfast with a cup of tea on the side, but they can also be served with cream as a dessert.

Tasmanian Apple Cake

Tavioka is a Fijian dish made by boiling, baking, or grating cassava, then cooking it in coconut cream with the addition sugar and mashed bananas. This somewhat heavy dish exists due to the fact that cassava was introduced to Fiji in 1936, in order to help increase the food crop harvest.

Tavioka

Interestingly, this classic Turkish chicken breast pudding doesn't taste like chicken at all&mdash;instead, it is often flavored with cinnamon and vanilla, and is more reminiscent of a thick, creamy, and smooth milk or rice pudding, both in flavor and appearance. Tavuk g&ouml;ğs&uuml; has its roots in a medieval French dessert called blancmange, and it was once prepared for the Ottoman sultans living at the Topkapı palace. Today it is considered one of T&uuml;rkiye's signature delicacies that is found in coffeehouses across the country.

Tavuk göğsü

Spain

T&eacute;cula m&eacute;cula is a traditional tart originating from Extremadura. The crust is usually prepared with a combination of sugar, water, flour, rendered fatback or butter and lard, and a pinch of salt. The dough is chilled, rolled out in a springform pan, then chilled again. The filling is made with water, sugar, lemon zest, almonds, butter, egg yolks, and flour. The smooth filling is poured into the crust, and the tart is baked until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. This tart is traditionally served at room temperature, and it&rsquo;s especially good when paired with a dollop of whipped cream and Pedro Xim&eacute;nez sherry on the side. T&eacute;cula m&eacute;cula is also known as the imperial dessert because it was a favorite of Emperor Charles V.

Técula mécula

Tegole Valdostane are traditional Italian cookies originating from the Valle d'Aosta region. They're made with a combination of sugar, almonds, hazelnuts, butter, flour, egg whites, and vanilla. The batter is spread on a tray in a thin layer and it's then baked until golden brown and slightly curved. The word tegole means tile, referring to the tile-like shape of these crumbly cookies. It's recommended to serve them with a cup of espresso on the side.

Tegole Valdostane

This creamy pudding is one of Puerto Rico&rsquo;s specialties, made by cooking coconut milk with cornstarch and sugar, then topping the concoction with cinnamon. The end result is a slightly firm pudding with a smooth custard-like texture, and it is typically served cold. The name tembleque means wiggly, referring to a slight wiggle when the pudding is shaken. This rich dessert can also be flavored with vanilla, nutmeg, or rum, if desired. It is especially popular at birthday parties and similar festive occasions.

Tembleque

Tentalaria di cashupete is a traditional sweet originating from Cura&ccedil;ao. It's made with a combination of cashew nuts, water, and sugar. The cashews are blended into a pur&eacute;e, then slowly mixed with a combination of boiling sugar and water. The combination is stirred with an iron spoon, then beaten with a spatula until the consistency becomes firm. Once done, the mixture is portioned in small sizes and left to cool on a wet wooden plate. The top is often garnished with coconut flakes or halved cashews. The name of this sweet treat is derived from the word tenta, meaning to entice. The candy is a local delicacy that's traditionally given as a gift to guests.

Tentalaria di cashupete

Tert di preimu is a traditional pie or tart originating from Cura&ccedil;ao and Aruba. The dough base for the pie is made with a combination of milk, butter, eggs, baking powder, flour, and salt, while the filling consists of chopped prunes, sugar, flour, cinnamon, mace, and nutmeg. The filling is cooked and stirred with a wooden spoon, then cooled and poured into the pie crust. Once assembled, the pie is baked in an oven until the crust becomes golden brown. It is then left to cool, sliced, and served.

Tert di preimu

Tespishte is a simple Kosovar dessert made by boiling oil with milk or water and then combining the concoction with flour, eggs, and baking powder to form a dough. The pastry mixture can optionally be enhanced with finely chopped or ground walnuts, almonds, or pistachios, while some versions use sesame seeds or even desiccated coconut. The dough is then stretched out into a greased baking tray and cut into rhomboid-shaped slices before baking. Its top may be decorated if desired, and once baked, the warm dessert is finished with a lukewarm sugar syrup flavored with vanilla sugar and lemon. In Kosovo and in other Balkan countries, this sweet pastry is traditionally prepared for special occasions such as weddings, family gatherings, and holidays such as Bayram.