Dessert

The term fl&oslash;dekager encompasses a wide group of traditional Danish cream cakes that are usually small in size and elegantly decorated. They mainly consist of a sponge, shortcrust, or puff pastry base that is coupled with creamy fillings and various toppings. Even though they come in a seemingly endless number of flavors and combinations of ingredients, they commonly incorporate whipped cream, chocolate, citrus, fruits, or marzipan. Cream cakes are a staple in numerous p&acirc;tisseries across the country and may be enjoyed as common, everyday desserts or festive treats.

Flødekager

A traditional Hungarian-Jewish dessert known as fl&oacute;dni is a layered cake with walnut, apple, plum jam, and poppyseed fillings. The dough is made with flour, salt, sugar, butter, egg yolks, and white wine, while the fillings are enriched with lemon juice, cinnamon, chocolate, white wine, honey, and cloves. Fl&oacute;dni is especially popular during the festive holiday season &ndash; some bake it for Hanukkah or Christmas, while others prepare it for New Year&rsquo;s Eve.

Flódni

Florentines are traditional cookies that are especially popular in Europe, and although not much is known about their origin, the cookies were most likely invented in France in the late 17th century. They are made with a combination of nuts (most commonly almonds and hazelnuts), sugar, candied cherries, honey, and butter, while chocolate is often used as a coating on the bottom. Due to the chocolate coating, florentines are perfect for dunking. The cookies are often prepared during the festive Christmas season.

Florentines

Foi thong is a Thai dessert made by drizzling egg yolks (usually duck egg yolks) through a narrow funnel into a sugary syrup in order to create long and sweet golden strings. Pandan leaves are typically used in the syrup to give it a special flavor. The word foi means thread, and the word thong means gold. Once prepared, these fine golden threads are often served at weddings and ceremonies. Just like many other Thai dishes, this one also has Portuguese culinary influences and it's based on a Portuguese treat called fios de ovos.

Foi thong

Serbia

Fonto&scaron; is a Serbian cake from the village of Debeljača. Since most of the villagers come from Hungary, they have brought over their culinary traditions, such as this cake. It is made with flour, yeast, milk, sugar, fat, cloves, margarine, salt, and pepper. For each fonto&scaron;, the dough is rolled into two thin strips &ndash; one is simply shaped into an outer ring, and the other one is braided and shaped into an inner ring of the cake. After it has been brushed with egg wash and baked, fonto&scaron; is additionally brushed with a combination of sugar, water, and oil. This cake is traditionally prepared on Thursdays before the wedding ceremonies, which are held on Saturdays, when fonto&scaron; is distributed from a tractor throughout the village, so even if you're not a wedding guest and find yourself in Debeljača on a Saturday, you might get to taste one for free.

Fontoš kolač

United States

The intriguing fortune cookies are crispy folded wafers hiding an entertaining "fortune" inside. The "fortune" is a written note; a proverb or a universal prophecy believed to predict the person&rsquo;s future. The cookies are made with egg whites, flour, sesame oil, and sugar, and have a slight vanilla flavor. They are rolled in flat, perfectly round shapes, then baked. Before they are folded, when they are still hot and pliable, the written fortune is nestled inside the cookie. As they cool, the fortune cookies harden and achieve their distinctively crunchy texture. Even though they are usually associated with Chinese restaurants, where they are served at the end of the meal, their origin is believed to be hidden in the Japanese culture. They are closely associated with o-mikuji, the Japanese tradition of placing fortunes at Buddhist and Shinto temples and are somewhat similar to Japanese cookies tsujiura senbei, which are slightly larger and darker in color. The origin of the westernized fortune cookie is vague, but it is believed it primarily appeared in California at the beginning of the 20th century. It is still disputed whether it was invented in Los Angeles by a Chinese immigrant David Jung, the founder of the Hong Kong Noodle Company, or in San Francisco by a native Japanese Makoto Hagiwara, a gardener who designed the Japanese Tea Garden. Today, most fortune cookies are produced in the United States, with the biggest factory located in Brooklyn. They constitute an important part of American culture and Chinese-American cuisine. Outside the United States, they can be found in numerous Chinese restaurants around the world, but are rarely found in China.

Fortune Cookie

Greece

Fouskakia are traditional Greek donuts or loukoumades that are prepared on the islands of Skopelos and Alonnisos, in the northwest Aegean Sea. The name of this specialty derives from the Greek word fo&uacute;ska, meaning a bubble, referring to the typically small spherical shape of the fluffy fried pieces of dough which resemble bubbles. These donuts are typically made with a simple batter of flour, water, and yeast, and once deep-fried in oil, they&rsquo;re usually eaten while still warm. Fouskakia are usually enjoyed drizzled with honey on top and sprinkled with cinnamon or nuts, although they can also be accompanied by scoops of ice cream on the side.

Fouskakia

Fragole al vino is a traditional dessert. It consists of fresh strawberries, freshly squeezed lemon juice, sugar, and wine. The use of fresh strawberries makes this dessert very seasonal. The dessert can be served at room temperature or slightly chilled. It's recommended to garnish it with a mint sprig. Any type of wine can be used, just remember that a white, ros&eacute;, or dessert wine usually require chilling in the fridge a bit before serving.

Fragole al vino

Strawberries Romanoff are a classic dessert prepared with fresh strawberries, orange liqueur like Grand Marnier or Cura&ccedil;ao, sugar, whipped cream, and often vanilla ice cream. Auguste Escoffier created it while working in London in the 1920s. However, it was initially called "Fraises a l'Americaine" or "Strawberries American Style" rather than strawberries Romanoff. The dessert got the Romanoff moniker in the 1940s when it was reinvented by the so-called Prince Michael Romanoff, who was not Russian royalty as he falsely claimed. He presented the dessert in his Beverly Hills restaurant, Romanoff's, which was popular with Hollywood stars of the era, and made it famous, so it's prepared to this day. The original Escoffier version pairs strawberries with Cura&ccedil;ao, orange juice, and whipped cream.

Fraises Romanoff

Fraisier is a French cake, its name derived from the word fraise, meaning strawberry. Traditionally, the cake consists of layers of genoise sponge, vanilla-flavored cr&eacute;me mousselline, marzipan, and lines of fresh, sliced strawberries. Originally, fraisier was invented as a tribute to strawberries, since the only available strawberries in France before the 19th century were tiny wild strawberries, similar in size to blueberries. In the 1930s, new types of strawberries became available in France and the rest of Europe for use in desserts, and a new cake was created.

Fraisier

Croatia

Framentunjača is a traditional dessert originating from the Kvarner area. The cake is made with a combination of polenta flour, water, salt, raisins, dried figs, walnuts, and almonds. The raisins, figs, walnuts, and almonds are coarsely chopped and mixed into cooked polenta near the end of cooking. The mixture is poured into a baking dish and baked in the oven on low heat. Once baked, the cake is chilled, cut into slices, and then served with homemade rakija (local brandy).

Framentunjača

Germany

This traditional Christmas cookie originated in Frankfurt, and it has a long history that dates back to the Middle Ages. Although the recipes may vary, these cookies are usually prepared with a soft dough that incorporates marzipan, orange blossom or rose water, sugar or honey, and flour. Traditionally, the cakes are formed into squares, and the top is usually imprinted with different patterns or comes decorated with almond halves. Frankfurter Brenten cookies are nowadays mostly available during Christmastime.

Frankfurter Brenten

Frankfurter Kranz is a classic German cake that originated in Frankfurt and was created around 1735. This cake is known for its distinctive crown shape, symbolizing the city's historical association with the German emperors as the place where coronations took place. The cake consists of multiple layers of sponge cake, which are filled and frosted with a rich buttercream. Often, the layers are interspersed with a layer of red jam, adding a tangy contrast to the creamy filling. The entire cake is then coated with more buttercream and adorned with golden toasted almond brittle, known as krokant, giving it a crunchy texture and an elegant appearance. To finish, the Frankfurter Kranz is typically decorated with cherries or other small fruits, enhancing its festive look. This cake is traditionally served during special occasions and celebrations, and it remains a beloved treat in German bakeries and households. Its rich, buttery flavor and intricate presentation make it a symbol of indulgence and craftsmanship in German baking.

Frankfurter Kranz

Frankfurter pudding is a traditional pudding originating from Frankfurt, and although there are many versions of hot steamed chocolate pudding throughout the country, this one is considered to be one of the best and richest. It's usually made with a combination of breadcrumbs, egg yolks, egg whites, butter, sugar, grated almonds, chocolate, and rum or strong coffee. The butter is creamed with sugar until light and fluffy. Egg yolks are blended into the mixture along with melted chocolate, rum or coffee, almonds, and breadcrumbs. The egg whites are beaten until stiff and then folded into the mixture. It's placed into a buttered mold and steamed in a water bath until the pudding is set. After a few minutes, the chocolate pudding is inverted on a serving platter. The pudding is typically served with warm vanilla sauce.

Frankfurter Pudding

Italy

Fregolotta is a traditional crumb cake (or a huge cookie) originating from Veneto. It's made with a combination of flour, butter, sugar, and lemon zest, but there are also some recipes that call for the addition of lard or chopped almonds instead of butter. The ingredients are mixed until blended, and the mixture is then passed through a food mill beofre it's baked in a pan until set. The crumble is cut into slices while still hot, but sometimes it's served atop an almond and it's then pressed down to break into pieces. In Italian, fregolotta means big crumb.

Fregolotta

Peru

Frejol colado is a traditional Afro-Peruvian dessert consisting of black beans, sugar, milk, and spices. The beans are skinned, mashed into a pur&eacute;e, then cooked with sugar, milk, and spices such as cloves, sesame seeds, and anise seeds until the dish develops a thick texture. Before serving, frejol colado is usually garnished with toasted sesame seeds. The dessert was first prepared over 400 years ago, and it is believed that it originates from Chincha and Ca&ntilde;ete. Nowadays, it's traditionally prepared for Easter, though it can be consumed at any time of the year.

Frejol colado

French meringue is the most basic variety of the three meringue techniques: French, Swiss, and Italian. It is also the least stable variety, at least until it gets baked. To make it, sugar is gradually added to beaten egg whites with soft peaks, and then the whole concoction is whipped until firm peaks are developed. French meringue is also the lightest variety, making it an ideal choice for souffl&eacute;s. It can be spooned or piped into different shapes or added to batters for sponge cakes and ladyfingers. When baked, it is usually topped with mousse, whipped cream, or fresh fruit.

French meringue

These small, delicate French cakes are similar to muffins in appearance and texture. They consist of egg whites, butter, sugar, and almond flour. These small cakes are often flavored with various ingredients such as chocolate, nuts, or pieces of fruit. They get their distinct oval shape from the special molds used to bake them. In addition to being wildly popular in France, friands are also commonplace all over Australia and New Zealand. They are said to go best with a dollop of ice cream, fruit, or a cup of hot coffee.

Friand

At the 2006 State Fair of Texas, a computer analyst named Abel Gonzales Jr. created a bizarre dessert called fried Coke, consisting of deep-fried, Coca-Cola flavored batter that is topped with whipped cream, Coke syrup, cinnamon sugar, and a single cherry. Unsurprisingly, Gonzales is also the creator of weird dishes such as deep-fried beer and deep-fried butter. Considering that fried Coke has 830 calories per cup, the dessert has surprisingly proved to be very popular in Texas, and soon it spread to other states. Today, fried Coke is sold worldwide, usually at carnivals, and it has even been featured on Travel Channel's tv show called Bizarre Foods.

Fried Coke

Fried ice cream is a decadent treat made by coating a scoop of ice cream in crumbled cookies or cornflakes, then deep-frying it for a short period of time until golden-brown in color on the exterior. The scoop of ice cream should ideally be frozen below the usual temperature at which ice cream is kept, in order not to melt when fried. If served in the most traditional way, frozen ice cream is placed on a cinnamon-sugar tortilla shell. This dessert became popular during the 1980s, and it was first adopted by a famous Mexican restaurant chain.