You may not be able to traverse all six continents, but you can sample the world’s baked treats from your kitchen. Take a tour of the world from the Netherlands to Australia and sample the very best baking ideas.
In honour of world baking day on the 17th of May, we would like to share a list of the 6 best-baked treats from around the world for you to bake at home and share with your loved ones.
French Croissants
This flaky, buttery pastry is known for its layer upon layer of laminated shortening which is what creates the famed texture of a croissant. The dough is rolled and shaped like a crescent, and once baked, it turns into a landscape of hidden crevices and airy delight perfect for enjoying with jam, cheese or loaded with breakfast toppings. These pastries can also be made with sweet or savoury fillings such as marzipan, chocolate or cheese. Make a tray of these golden delights and your kitchen is transformed into a bakery on the streets of Paris.
English Bread Pudding
This sweet after-dinner treat was born from a rather less glamorous place. Traditionally, bread and butter pudding were a thrifty way of using stale bread. Milk, eggs, sugar and shortening were mixed together to make a custard which was used to rehydrate and breathe new life into old heels of bread. This delicious pudding has come a long way since its humble beginnings and is now often made from enriched doughs such as brioche or croissants and served with berries, raisins, toffee sauces or lashings of fresh whipped cream.
Dutch Apple Pie
Sweet, tart, spiced apples enrobed in salty, crumbly pastry, what more could you ask for really? Variations of apples in pastry are enjoyed all over the world so what sets the Dutch apple pie apart? It’s the lattice or streusel topping and often with the addition of walnuts and raisins.
Italian Pizza
Not to be upstaged by the list of its sweet peers, pizza is a worldwide favourite that was borne from fairly localised beginnings. Although every nook of Italy has a different way to enjoy this flatbread, one feature generally remains the same – it’s always enjoyed with the ones you love. Preparations for pizza include a yeasty flatbread often topped with fresh tomato sauce, local cheese, herbs and your choice of veggies, meats and cured or fermented accessories. The sky is the limit when it comes to enjoying a pizza today.
North American Chocolate Chip Cookies
Few things can beat a really great cookie or biscuit, so when you add chunks of melty chocolate to a vanilla cookie, you have a combination that’s pretty close to perfection. Although invented in America, this biscuit has travelled to kitchens around the world and become a firm favourite for children and adults alike. So whether crisp and crunchy or chewy and sweet, you have likely enjoyed a chocolate chip cookie at least once – hopefully with your favourite warm drink.
Australian Lamingtons
This Australian speciality cake has all the makings of a great treat which is why it has become so popular around the world. It all starts with a simple vanilla sponge cake cut into bite-sized squares. Next, its coated in melted chocolate or chocolate sauce and finally rolled in desiccated coconut. What makes this treat so distinctive is its texture as the chocolate seeps into the cake and the coconut holds it all together, the mouthfeel is unmatched by any teatime treat. If you are a lover of cake, this is definitely one not to be missed.
Food is the language of humanity and no matter where in the world you are from, it can tell a story or take you on an adventure. Enjoy the foods of cultures, languages and places around the world and you will no doubt be enriched.
Imaginary globetrotting can really work up an appetite, so why not enjoy one of the signatures treats you have explored today? For these and more Stork baking ideas, take a trip to the home of the legendary Stork bake or check out ILoveBakingSA on YouTube.
