Looking to inspire your family to try new dishes? Dessert is a great place to start. Take a trip around the world right through your taste buds. Start in France with crisp, doughy beignets. Next, head to Canada for maple taffy pops. For a super-moist cake, bake up Mexico’s tres leches. Finally, from the Mediterranean, baklava is a pastry unlike any other with a mixture of honey and nuts enveloped in buttery layers of phyllo dough. Is your mouth watering yet?
France: Easy Beignets
You can make your own dough for this fried, French dessert, but it’s much faster to start with packaged refrigerated pizza dough. Separate the pizza dough into balls and then fry in hot oil. Liberally dust the beignets with powdered sugar. These easy beignets from Pillsbury are best served piping hot.
Canada: Maple Taffy Pops
This recipe comes from our neighbors to the north (well to the south sometimes, depending where you are in Michigan). Scoop thickened maple syrup into piles of clean snow – yes, snow! Pour the syrup into the snow and the cold temperatures will help it become solid as it cools. Add Popsicle sticks and you’ve just made maple taffy pops from Canadian Living.
Poland: Cinnamon Babka
Create this traditional Polish treat using this recipe for cinnamon babka from the Brown Eyed Baker. The yeasty, egg-rich bread dough is swirled with a buttery cinnamon filling. You can leave the top of the babka plain or add a layer of powdered sugar.
Germany: Apple Kuchen
Start with a butter-crisped crust and then fill it with apples and cream cheese. Top with a brown sugar and oatmeal streusel and you have apple kuchen from Frankenmuth’s famed Bavarian Inn. Serve with a scoop of thick, vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.
Mexico: Chocolate Coconut Tres Leches
Layers of milk fill this indulgent cake that translates into “three milks cake.” The traditional Mexican cake includes condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream. This chocolate coconut tres leches recipe from MyKidsEatSquid includes a twist on the classic with the addition of – you guessed it! – chocolate and coconut.
Greece: Baklava
Dripping with honey between layers of thin, crisp phyllo dough, this baklava recipe from the Pioneer Woman takes time to put together. Brush the layers of phyllo dough with melted butter and more melted butter along with a generous helping of chopped walnuts.
