Share the joy of the holidays with friends and family this season with some sweet treats from around the world. The holidays will never taste so good!

Brunsli Cookies – Swiss Almond-Chocolate Spice Cookies

Serves: 8–12 (Yield: about 2 dozen) | Preparation Time: 20 minutes plus 1 hour refrigeration | Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 large egg whites
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups almond flour
• 1 ½ cups sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

1. In a clean, grease-free bowl, beat the egg whites until they are slightly frothy. Set them aside.
2. Combine the chocolate, flour, sugar, and spices; mix well.
3. Pour the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and mix to form a dough.
4. Shape the dough into a ball and flatten it into a thick disc.
5. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
6. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Sprinkle the work surface with sugar and roll out the dough to a ½-inch thickness.
8. Cut the cookies into desired shapes, and arrange them on baking sheets.
9. Let air dry for 30 minutes.
10. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°F.
11. Bake until the cookies just begin to puff (about 15 minutes). The cookies will harden as they cool, and they will be too tough if overbaked.
12. Let cool to set.

 

Lenguas de Gato – Delicate Butter Cookies from the Philippines

Serves: 15 (Yield: about 60) | Preparation Time: 30 minutes | Cooking Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup butter, softened
• ⅔ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 egg white
• 1 whole egg
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat mat (this is highly recommended for this type of cookie).
2. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Set it aside.
3. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together.
4. At slow speed, mix the eggs and vanilla into the butter mixture.
5. Add the flour and salt mixture, and combine until smooth.
6. Transfer the batter to a piping bag with a plain tip, and pipe 2-inch long strips onto the lined baking sheet.
7. Bake until browned at the edges (about 7 minutes).
8. Immediately transfer to wire rack, and let the cookies cool completely.

 

Kurisumasu Keki – Japanese Christmas Cake

Serves: 8 | Preparation Time: 45 minutes | Cooking Time: 20–25 minutes

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon milk
• ½ cup sugar
• ¾ cup cake flour, sifted

For the syrup:

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 tablespoon kirsch (optional)

For the frosting:

• 1 ⅔ cups whipping cream, chilled (not frozen)
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 pound strawberries, sliced vertically (leave the best-looking pieces unsliced)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of a cake pan with parchment paper.
2. Prepare a saucepan or pot and 2 metal or heat-proof bowls that fit snugly over it. Crack the eggs into one bowl. In the other, place the milk and butter.
3. Fill the saucepan with water, just under half full, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, but keep it hot.
4. Meanwhile, beat the eggs with a wire whisk or hand mixer at low speed. Add the sugar and beat for a few more seconds to incorporate.
5. Place the bowl over the pot with boiling water, and continue beating the eggs at high speed until they’re light, fluffy and warm (about 1–2 minutes).
6. Remove the warmed egg mixture from the heat. Place the butter with milk over the hot pot. Turn off the heat, but leave the bowl until the butter begins to melt, and then remove it from the pot.
7. While the milk is warming, continue beating the warm eggs until soft peaks begin to form.
8. Gradually add the sifted flour, folding it in gently.
9. Whisk the melted butter in milk and gradually fold it into the batter until it’s well incorporated.
10. Pour the batter into a cake pan, and spread it with a spatula. Lift the pan slightly and drop it a couple of times on a level surface to break any air bubbles in the batter.
11. Bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 20–25 minutes).
12. Flip the pan upside down on a wire rack. Let it cool completely.
13. While the cake is cooling, whisk the syrup ingredients together in a bowl and set them aside.
14. Loosen the sides of the cake with a knife and remove it from the pan.
15. Cut the cake in half horizontally and brush inside with syrup, moistening thoroughly. (This cake dries easily so it needs to be soaked in syrup.)
16. Meanwhile, prepare the toppings. Set aside the best-looking strawberries for decorating the cake. Cut the others lengthwise. Pat them dry with paper towels.
17. Place the whipping cream in a bowl over another bowl filled with ice. Gradually add the sugar while whipping, until stiff peaks form.
18. Spread whipped cream over the bottom layer and then add a layer of strawberry slices. Add another layer of cream.
19. Place the other cake half on top and cover the whole cake with cream.
20. Decorate using reserved whole strawberries, and dust with confectioners’ sugar.
21. Chill well before serving.

 

Rum Cake – Spiced Rum Fruitcake from Jamaica

Serves: 24–30 | Preparation Time: 30 minutes plus 24 hours soaking time | Cooking Time: 60–90 minutes

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• Zest of 1 lime, finely grated
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 12 eggs
• 2 teaspoons rose water
• ½ cup sherry or brandy
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 tablespoons burned sugar syrup
• 4 cups fruit mix

For fruit mix:

• 2 ¾ cups raisins, minced
• 2 ⅔ cups prunes, minced
• 2 ¾ cups currants, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Red cooking wine, as needed
• White rum, as needed

Directions

1. Prepare the fruit mix 1 day to 1 month in advance. Place the fruit and ground nutmeg in a jar or large non-reactive container, and cover it with wine and rum. Let it soak until ready to use. Leftovers can be stored for future use.
2. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line, grease, and flour 2 8-inch round baking pans.
3. Prepare the cake. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Whisk in the breadcrumbs and zest.
4. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy.
5. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until light and fluffy (about 10 minutes). Fold in the rose water, sherry, and vanilla.
6. Pour the egg mixture into the butter mixture, folding well.
7. Fold in the burnt sugar syrup and 4 cups of fruit mix.
8. Mix in the sifted dry ingredients until a wooden spoon can stand upright when stuck in the middle of the mixture. If not, gradually add more flour.
9. Fill a baking pan with water and place it in the oven. This is to keep the cake from drying out while baking. Check that the water does not all evaporate during baking.
10. Fill the greased pans with batter and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs stuck to it (1 – 1 ½ hours). Baking time is variable, so the cake needs to be checked from time to time.
11. Remove the cake from the oven and let it stand 10 minutes. Remove it from the pans and place them on wire racks to cool completely.
12. Wrap the cakes in aluminum foil to store. Drizzle now and then with red cooking wine or rum to keep them moist.

 

Cozonac – Sweet Bread with Walnut Filling from Romania

Serves: 4 | Preparation Time: 1 hour | Cooking Time: 50-60 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups milk, scalded and divided, hot

For the scalded flour:

• ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons fresh yeast
• ½ teaspoon sugar

For the dough:

• 4 egg yolks
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon rum
• 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
• ½ cup butter, melted, divided
• 3 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour

For the filling:

• 2 egg whites
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (optional)
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon rum
• ⅔ cup toasted walnuts, ground to a powder
• Other optional fillings: diced Turkish delight or raisins (presoaked in hot water and drained)

Directions

For the scalded flour

1. Place the flour  to be scalded in a large bowl. Carefully scoop out ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon of the hot scalded milk, and pour it over the flour. (Set the rest of the milk aside to cool.)
2. Mix until a smooth paste forms. Set it aside to cool.
3. Meanwhile, combine the yeast and sugar in a small bowl, mixing until it becomes liquid.
4. Add the yeast mixture to the cooled scalded flour (if the mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast) and mix well.
5. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise until doubled in volume (about 15–20 minutes).

For the dough

6. Combine the egg yolks and salt, beating lightly.
7. Stir in the sugars, lemon zest, rum, oil, and half the melted butter.
8. Pour the mixture into the yeast-flour mixture and combine well.
9. Stir in remaining (cooled) milk.
10. Sift the flour over the mixture and mix until incorporated.
11. Knead the dough while it is still in the bowl. Bring the sides to the center with your fist until the dough begins to separate slightly from the bowl (about 15 minutes). The dough will still be very sticky at this point.
12. Add the remaining butter and continue kneading to incorporate and until the dough is slippery.
13. Cover, and let it proof until doubled in volume (about 15–20 minutes).

For the filling

14. Place the egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl and whisk until stiff peaks are formed.
15. Gradually add the sugar, cocoa, lemon zest (optional) and rum, whisking after each addition.
16. Gently fold in the walnuts.

To assemble the loaf

17. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease or butter two loaf pans.
18. Place the dough on a floured surface and roll out into an ⅛-inch-thick rectangle, about 12–14 inches wide.
19. Sprinkle with Turkish delight or raisins, if using. Press down with a rolling pin to embed.
20. Spread the dough evenly with filling, leaving about ¾ inch free around the edge.
21. Cut the dough into two equal parts.
22. Roll up one part and place it, seam down, in a prepared pan, tucking in the ends. Do the same with the remaining dough.
23. Place the pans in a warm place and let the dough rise for about 10 minutes.
24. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake until golden brown (about 50–60 minutes).
25. Remove the bread from the pans and wrap it with thick kitchen towels.
26. Let the loaves cool before slicing.

 

 

***These recipes and more can be found in Sarah Spencer’s Holiday Baking: Traditional Baking Recipes from Around the World. To get your own copy, click on the cover or here.

 To download a copy of the featured recipes, click here.