The last thing you want to worry about on your holiday is your waistband, however after all, these sweet treats are too yummy to resist…
October is National Dessert Month so to celebrate sugar, spice and all things nice we’ve shortlisted some of the most indulgent and exotic desserts from around the globe that are sure to get any sweet tooth excited.
1. Key Lime Pie – Florida
Uncover the secrets of one of America’s most famous yet unique deserts – Key Lime Pie, which was first made off the coast of Florida during the early 1900s as a sweet reprieve when fresh milk was hard to come by. When visiting The Keys’ with Trafalgar, you’ll meet Local Specialist and Celebrity Chef Kermit dressed in his signature green apron and stylish white moustache.
Learn from the best and discover the history of this treat before sampling some of his creations. Get a insight into what it takes to become a Key Lime Pie extraordinaire onTrafalgar’s 11-day Florida Sunshine Trail guided holiday.
2. Maple Taffy – Canada
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Staying true to all things maple is Canada’s Maple Taffy, otherwise known as toffee on snow. The sugary sweet is created by boiling maple sap beyond the point where it would form syrup. The mixture is then poured onto a cold surface (or snow!) and lifted using a paddle pop stick or a metal fork.
The candy is consumed while it’s warm and pliable. The toffee is part of traditional culture in Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick and northern New England and is readily available in these cities. Insight Vacations’ 8-day Capitals of Eastern Canada Gold Luxury itinerary visits Quebec and Ontario, for those wanting to sample the unique creation and discover Eastern Canada in comfort and style. For more information visitwww.insightvacations.com.
3. The Hummingbird Bakery – London
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Equally as famous as the red door in the film Notting Hill, The Hummingbird Bakery on Portobello Road is known as the place to go when you are on the hunt for the best cupcakes in London. Often with a queue that stretches down the street take a peek at perfectly lined window displays and choose from dozens of flavours including popcorn, chocolate, red velvet or carrot plus be tempted to grab yourself a Whoopie Pie or tray bake for good measure.
Find all the local hot spots in London with Contiki by adding a 5 day London Explorer to any European Contiki trip.
4. Pavlova – Australia
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Still to this day, one of the world’s most popular desserts is shrouded in mystery and controversy with its origins fiercely debated by Australians and New Zealanders. Pavlova – the sweet meringue-like crust dessert stuffed with whipped cream and finished with fresh fruits is a much-loved treat by both sides of the ditch.
Like its namesake, Russian prima ballerina Anna Pavlova who toured Australia and New Zealand during the 1920s, AAT Kings invites you to do the same and taste test your way around both countries in lure of the best Pavlova when choosing from a day tour, short break of guided holiday www.aatkings.com.
5. Dulce de leche – South America
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Almost the official taste of South America is the ooey, gooey and absolutely delicious dulche de leche. The thick, custard-like confectionary is created by slowly heating condensed milk until it turns into a caramel-esque consistency.
Literally translated in ‘candy of milk’, you will find it served in cakes, pastries, cookies or even on its own with a spoon. ‘Dulche-delicious’. Savour the flavours of dulche de leche on Adventure World’s 12-day Handpicked Argentina which visits Buenos Aires, where the dessert originated, Igauzu, chocolate capital Bariloche, Calafate and Perito Moreno Glacier.
6. Golden Phoenix cupcake – Dubai
Dubai isn’t known for doing things by halves, so when Bloomsbury in Dubai Mall set out to make an indulgent dessert the result was the world’s most expensive cupcake. The ‘Golden Phoenix cupcake’ is made with 23-carat edible gold sheets, gold dust, organic strawberries, premium cocoa from Italy and is served on a 24-carat gold cake stand.
They say you feel desserts on the hips but this one will also give your credit card a hit costing AUD$1,100. To ‘sweeten’ the deal, half the proceeds go to the World Food Programme. Sate your sweet tooth with a visit the Dubai Mall with Creative Holidays’ range of stopover packages. For more information 1300 301 711.
7. Kürtőskalács – Hungary
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Kürtőskalács or Chimney Cake is a Hungarian dessert dating back to medieval times. The cake is constructed using sweet yeast dough, which is spun and wrapped around a cylinder shaped baking spit, and rolled in granulated sugar. It is baked above charcoal and glazed with melted butter, until its surface becomes golden-brown. During the baking process, the sugar stuck on the outside of the roll becomes caramel, and additional toppings such as walnuts and cinnamon can be applied to its surface.
Once the cake is cooked it stands upright, releasing steam resembling a chimney. You can try the delicious cake in Budapest with Uniworld’s 8-day Enchanting Danube cruising from Budapest to Passau. For more information visit www.uniworldcruises.com.au.
8. Mango sticky rice pudding – Thailand
While there are hundreds of weird and wonderful things to eat in Thailand you can’t go past the traditional mango sticky rice pudding for those with a sweet tooth. The combination of the sticky rice pudding, coconut and tropical fruit is the perfect way to finish up a meal and will leave you wanting more.
Explore the desserts on the east and west Thai Islands on the Thai Flexi Hopper with Busabout. For more information visit www.busabout.com
