Christmas 2023:  10 Treats From Across The World

By Niveditha Kalyanaraman

December 8th, 2023

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Christmas baking with the Christmas lights flashing is a magical way to spend time together as a family. With so many Christmas desserts around the world, it can be fun to sample as many as you can! Here are 10 traditional Christmas treats from across the world.

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Pavlova, New Zealand/Austria

Pavlova, one of the most famous Christmas classics around the world, was first made in New Zealand (or Australia, accounts vary). This sweet, pillowy dessert, made with egg whites and sugar and topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit, is now a fixture on Australian Christmas tables.

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Mincemeat Tart, UK

Mincemeat Tarts are a staple dish of the traditional British holiday season, marking an English tradition during the most festive time of the year. Despite the name, mincemeat pies do not contain meat. Instead, they consist of dried fruit soaked in liqueur encased in flaky pastry.

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Peppermint Tart, South Africa

Peppermint Crisp Tart (or pudding) is a dessert made from South African pantry ingredients. It can be made in advance and frozen. It is not served frozen, but rather left to defrost into creamy deliciousness.

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Rum Cake, Caribbean

By far, the most popular Christmas dessert across the Caribbean is the Christmas cake - also known as Black Cake or Rum Cake. Whatever the name, all are a version of a rum filled fruit cake.

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Bolo Rei, Portugal

A speciality in Portugal, Bolo Rei or Portuguese Kings Cake, is super easy to bake at home. It is a lightly spiced, fluffy Christmas cake filled with fruit and nuts.

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Polish Mazurka, Poland

Polish Mazurka has a soft marshmallow-y middle full of peanuts and raisins and a slightly crispy top.

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Hungarian Beigli, Hungary

Hungarian Beigli is a traditional walnut and poppy seed roll which is served in many Hungarian families at Christmas as a special treat. The Christmas meal table would be incomplete without these rolls.

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Turrón De Jijona, Spain

Turrón de Jijona is a classic sweet treat in Spain over the Holiday season. This includes two methods: the traditional method, and an alternative method for quicker drying.

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Christopsomo, Greece

This is a traditional Greek Christmas bread recipe. No Christmas is complete without a dose of this filling bread.

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Linzer Cookies, Austria

Baking Linzer cookies is a delicious holiday tradition in Austria, where they originated. Buttery and soft, these sandwich cookies have been popular for centuries for their sweet taste and tender texture.

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