Christmas Desserts from Around the World

Written by Christina Stolz; Edited by Basma Enany (W’26)

December has finally arrived and now only our last exams stand between us and Christmas. Which means we can soon go home to the colossal amount of food that will be awaiting us. Food forms a significant part of gatherings held to celebrate the arrival of Christmastide. It allows us to revere tradition as well as bond with our family.. So as the holiday sugar rush sweeps in, we’ve decided to ask some international students for their country’s Christmas treats:

Lebkuchen (Germany)

Lebkuchen is the quintessential sweet Christmas treat in Germany; the spicy smell of the gingerbread is synonymous with our Christmas. These gingerbread bakes are not what you expect if you’re envisioning the typical gingerbread cookies or houses that make up Christmas in the US. Typically, they have a soft, fluffy texture and the laced with a mix of different spices and aromas: Cinnamon · Cloves · Cardamom · Nutmeg · Ginger. On the outside they have a hard sugar glaze, as seen in the image above, or our glazed with chocolate. Their base is covered with a communion wafer.

Lebkuchen has a long heritage and was already present in ancient Egypt in the form of a spiced honey cake. The form of today’s Lebkuchen dates back to 14th century Germany where they were created by Catholic monks.  

We also get Lebkuchen in the form of hearts that we sell at the Christmas market. You’re welcome to try them but they’re too sweet and are more of a memento. They often end up more as wall decor for months.

Photo by cmophoto.net on Unsplash

Æbleskiver (Denmark)

Photo by Madara Moroza on Unsplash

Æbleskiver are fluffy, lighter pancake balls that you coat in powdered sugar before dipping it in jam to serve (the photo makes this look aesthetic but really it turns into quite a mess). They are usually eaten at home or are sold in Christmas stalls during the festive period. A popular drink served with it would be a glass of gløgg (Scandinavian mulled wine which you have to love cinnamon for, it's overpowered with a cinnamon taste nearly as bad as fireball).

The balls are also a hit during the Danish Julefrokost “Christmas lunches”. These lunches are sprinkled throughout the whole of December- you have them with colleagues, friends, club members and family. 

If you are curious and want to try, the Danish village Solvang in California could give you the opportunity to try them.

Galette des Rois (France)

The galette des rois isn’t strictly a Christmas Dessert as it is baked in January, however it celebrates the Three King’s visit to Baby Jesus.

The galette is made with puff pastry that sandwiches a frangipani filling. They come with a crown and always have a fève (trinket) baked into it. If your slice has the fève, you get the crown and the right to be queen or king for the day. 

Mince Pies (England)

Photo by Rob Wicks on Unsplash

Mince pies are controversial: you either completely love them or absolutely detest them. Not much can be said beyond this because most English internationals seem to have no idea how to explain this delicacy’s flavor. They’re a sweet pie of English and have been around since 1413, when King Henry V requested them for his coronation celebration. At that point they were traditionally filled with mincemeat.  Today they are filled with a mixture of dried fruits, sugar, spices, and brandy.

Pepparkakor (Sweden)

Pepparkakor “pepper cookies” are thin, crispy, gingerbread cookies. They're usually cut into the form of a heart, flower, or star. The flavor is slightly more plain but they have an interesting tradition: you are supposed to make a wish and then tap the cookie in the middle until it breaks. If the pepparkakor breaks into three then your wish will come true.

Cougnou/ Cougnolle (Belgium)

Cougnou is a sweet brioche bread that is formed to resemble the baby Jesus. It’s usually covered in raisins, chocolate chips, or sugar crystals. The bread also holds a plaster or marzipan figure of Jesus and is given to children on Christmas Day.

Risalamande (Denmark)

Photo by Rasmus Gundorff Sæderup on Unsplash

Risalamande is a rice pudding with vanilla, almonds and whipped cream. When serving, a  warm cherry sauce is poured over it. It does not look the most appetizing in this picture but the taste is amazing- the lighter creamy almond pudding balances with the warm and denser cherry sauce. It’s an addictive guilty pleasure that is a favorite after wrapping up studies and cycling back home in the cold.

It’s a tradition for the person cooking the risalamande to chop all almonds finely except for a single one. This almond has to be found when eating and the person that gets it in their serving wins a prize.