Appeltaart is a traditional apple pie that is very often accompanied by a cup of hot coffee. Although it is essentially the same as most apple pies, Dutch appeltaart differs from the classic American apple pie in many ways: it is baked in a spring-form pan, making it deeper; it is drier on the interior; it is full of big chunks of apple, currants, and raisins, and it is full of speculoos spices such as cinnamon, lemon juice, and other warm spices. Appeltaart dates back to the Middle Ages and it is believed that the baking time was measured by the number of prayers one had to say until it was ready to be taken out of the oven since ovens with temperature controls didn't exist at the time. In the Netherlands, appeltaart is usually served at room temperature and topped with a dollop of whipped cream, what is known as appeltaart met slagroom. This traditional dessert is one of the first pies that the young people learn to prepare in the Netherlands, but it is believed that the best ones are made by grandmas.
Szarlotka is a traditional apple pie that is hugely popular in all of Poland. There are countless ways of making it, but typically, it's made with shortcrust pastry or semi-shortcrust pastry and cooked or raw apples. It's a double-crust pie, and the top of the pie is usually crumbled. However, there is one variation of szarlotka that is well-known, and that is one that also includes a meringue layer underneath the crumble topping. Szarlotka can also have other fruits like peaches and pears, the apple filling can have raisins, and the crumble topping can be mixed with almonds. You will find szarlotka in most Polish bakeries, confectioners, and restaurants. Also, unlike American apple pie, szarlotka is not very sweet.
A close relative of galaktoboureko—that is distinguished by the use of phyllo sheets—classic Greek galatopita combines semolina, milk, eggs, butter, and sugar into a creamy, custard-like treat. Often enriched with citrus zest (and wrapped in pastry in some regions), galatopita is baked until golden-brown and is typically garnished with a sprinkle of powdered sugar or cinnamon. With its light texture and delicate flavor, it can be served on any occasion and is best enjoyed well-chilled.
A typical dessert of the East Flanders, mattentaart is a small puff pastry pie with a tender, almond-flavored cheese curd filling called mattenbrij. These delicious Flemish pies are traditionally made in the city of Geraardsbergen and the neighboring village of Lierde, and their production depends heavily on the Geraardsbergen area's dairy produce, since genuine mattentaarts are prepared using only fresh milk, butter, and buttermilk from the local farms. Although the origins of mattentaart can be traced back to the Middle Ages, the oldest known recipe was found in Een Notabel Boecxken van Cokeryen, the first cookbook in Dutch, written and published in 1514 by Thomas van Der Noot. Later on, the famed mattentaarts were even depicted by the Flemish Renaissance painter and printmaker Pieter Bruegel the Elder in his 1567 painting The Peasant Wedding. And even though mattentaart is today famous throughout Belgium and abroad, in 2006, this pie has been declared a regional product protected by the European Union which means it can only be called mattentaart if it is produced in Geraardsbergen or Lierde.
Translated as honey pie, this light Greek dessert is traditionally associated with the island of Sifnos, but its varieties can be found in other Greek regions as well. The pie combines fresh cheese, preferably mizithra based on sheep or goat milk, eggs, and honey, and it is usually baked as a round, crustless cake. It is recommended to garnish melopita with a sprinkle of cinnamon and an additional drizzle of honey.
Banoffee pie is a rich, layered dessert pastry made with a crumbled biscuit base, thick toffee, sliced fresh bananas, and a generous mound of whipped cream, often paired with a strong cup of black coffee or unsweetened tea to balance the extreme sugar levels. It was created in 1971 at The Hungry Monk restaurant in East Sussex, England. The owner, Nigel Mackenzie, and his head chef, Ian Dowding, originally sought to modify an obscure recipe relying on coffee and caramel. After several failed attempts utilizing apples and mandarin oranges, Mackenzie suggested incorporating bananas instead. The resulting combination proved incredibly successful, prompting the invention of the word "Banoffee"—a simple portmanteau of banana and toffee—which eventually secured a spot in the Oxford English Dictionary. Assembling the pie begins by crushing digestive biscuits into fine crumbs and mixing them thoroughly with melted butter. This sandy mixture is firmly pressed into the bottom and up the sides of a fluted tart tin, then briefly baked or refrigerated until it forms a rigid shell. The critical toffee component relies on slowly boiling sealed cans of sweetened condensed milk for several hours until the sugars inside caramelize into a dark, thick paste. Once the biscuit shell has cooled completely, a thick blanket of this caramel is spread across the bottom, followed immediately by a dense layer of freshly cut, ripe bananas. Heavy cream is whisked until soft peaks form and spread high over the fruit. The final aesthetic touch is a light dusting of cocoa powder or finely grated dark chocolate over the white cream. Alterations to this baseline formula often replace the standard biscuit crust with crushed graham crackers or chocolate cookies to adjust the foundational flavor. Other variations mix a small splash of dark rum or instant coffee powder directly into the caramel to introduce a bitter contrast, while certain bakeries scatter toasted pecans or walnuts over the fruit layer for added crunch.
Mustikkapiirakka is a traditional blueberry pie originating from Finland. The crust for the pie is usually made with a combination of flour, butter, sugar, eggs, and baking powder. The dough is pressed into a tart pan, pricked with a fork, and pre-baked. It is then topped with fresh blueberries (in Finland they traditionally use bilberries, which are very similar, but different to North American blueberries) mixed with sour cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and cardamom, if desired. The pie is placed back in the oven and it's baked until the middle is set and the edges have browned. Once baked, mustikkapiirakka is cut into slices and enjoyed warm or cold. It's recommended to pair it with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
This baked dessert is made with a base layer of shortcrust pastry that is topped with lemon custard and fluffy meringue. The custard is usually made with a combination of lemon zest and juice, sugar, egg yolks, and (sometimes) starch. The origins of this sweet treat are murky and mysterious – some credit Elizabeth Coane Goodfellow of Philadelphia as the inventor, but her 18th-century recipe mentions lemon pudding, while the meringue is used in minimal amounts, as an accent. Other sources say that the first recorded recipe was written by Alexander Frehse, a Swiss baker, and some suggest that the botanist Emile Campbell-Browne had a similar recipe in Wigbeth, Dorset, in 1875. Regardless of the origins, lemon meringue pie has been the favorite of presidents, and it even has its own day – August 15, known as National Lemon Meringue Pie Day.
Vlaai is a sweet pie originating from the province of Limburg. It consists of a yeast pie base and a filling of creamy custard which is topped with streusel, a crumbly topping. The pie has a rich history: it was first consumed by Germanic tribes who used to drizzle the dough with fruit juice or honey, and later, it was used in monasteries as a special, sacrificial bread. Over the years, vlaai was brought over to Maastricht, where it was used for festivities and celebrations such as birthdays and weddings. Today, there are numerous varieties of vlaai–filled with chocolate, rice pudding, or fruits such as cherries, strawberries, apples, and bananas.
Greek-style apple pie is a classic dessert that appears in many variations across the country. It is either prepared as a rich coffee cake that couples cinnamon-spiced apples and soft, buttery dough, or as a simple pie in which shortcrust pastry is topped with a delectable apple filling. Standard additions often include walnuts, various types of flavorings, and dried fruits. In all its forms and variations, milopita is usually paired with coffee and enjoyed as an afternoon dessert.
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