Right now, I’m sad due to the imminent end of the long, lazy days of summer. The weather is starting to get cooler. And, some of the flowers in my garden have already stopped blooming. Soon, they will probably die altogether. To improve my mood, I’d like to plan an end of summer celebration. Hosting a fun, festive party is a great way to forget your troubles temporarily while spending time with the people you love. If you’re planning an upcoming end of summer bash, you may be trying to decide on the perfect menu. In order to enjoy you guests’ company, try not to overextend yourself in the kitchen. For instance, consider buying all of your desserts from a local bakery. On this blog, you will discover the best types of desserts to serve at an end of summer event.
When you walk into a bakery, you will likely be overwhelmed, in the best way possible, by the wonderful s
If you like fruitcake, but have only tried classic American recipes, then you might enjoy a foreign style
If you like fruitcake, but have only tried classic American recipes, then you might enjoy a foreign style fruitcake or fruit bread. Many countries around the world have a tradition of making fruitcakes around the holiday season. You will find many of these fruitcakes at gourmet bakeries.
Here are a few of the delicious fruitcakes found around the world.
Cozonac
This is a fruitcake that is made in Romania and Bulgaria during Easter and the Christmas season. It is made with eggs and has a texture similar to brioche. It is much lighter than classic American fruitcakes.
It is not as dense with fruit as many fruitcakes. The ingredients include poppy seeds, raisins, hazelnuts and tiny bits of Turkish delight candy.
Stollen
Stollen is a very popular fruit bread made in Germany. The dough is yeasted and flavored with cinnamon, orange peel, and other spices. After the dough has risen, it is filled with dried fruit. The dough is than rolled out and marzipan is placed in the center of the dough. The dough is then folded over so the marzipan bakes soft into the center of the bread.
When the bread is finished baking it is covered in a generous dusting of sugar.
Barmbrack
Brambrack is an Irish fruit bread that is made around Halloween. It is not as sweet as many fruit breads and is normally served toasted, with butter and tea. The bread is flavored with dried raises and sultanas.
Panforte
Panforte is the classic fruitcake of Italy. It's name translates to "strong bread" because of the pungency of the spices used in the batter. It is not a yeasted bread, it is more of a dense cake. It is flavored with honey, sugar, clove, ginger, and cinnamon. Almonds and hazelnuts are added for crunch. Prunes and figs, popular dried fruit in Italy, are also added to the batter. When the cake is done baking it is dusted with powered sugar.
Bolo Rei
This is a fruitcake made in Portugal for Christmas. It is a yeasted cake that is shaped in a circle and a hole is left in the center. The dough is flavored with citrus and port wine. The nuts typically used include walnuts, almonds and pine nuts.
This cake is a bit different from other fruitcakes in that the fruit adorns the outside of the bread. Egg whites are used to attach small, candied fruits to the outside of the dough. They bake into the crust to give it a beautiful look. The translation of bolo rei is "king cake." The reason to bake the candied fruit on the outside is that it makes the cake resemble a crown.
Sometimes the baker will include a small toy in the dough, much like the famous Mardi Gras king cakes. Additional reading on bread suppliers can be found here.
Share