HOLIDAY TREATS AROUND THE WORLD

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Since Thanksgiving weekend just came and went in the blink of an eye, in a Pumpkin-Peca-Apple Pie drenched minute, we got to thinking about what’s ahead and we know that the holiday season is going to fly by and we need to get organized for all the holiday parties in our (very imminent) future. We thought you might be in the same boat, and since we’re always thinking of our Pitusa fam, we decided to get to work and put a list together of some unique holiday treats to whip up that will defo also be the star of any gathering you show up to.

Going into the holiday season, we always take it as an opportunity to research and perfect our cooking skills, especially in the baking department. And generally that means taking on particularly challenging traditional baked goods from around the world! What could be better than a warm mince pie you made yourself with a heaping dose of double cream? Or a greasy, fluffy, delicious potato latke replete with soured cream and apple sauce?

Nothing we tell you, nothing. If we could subsist on mince pies, mulled wine and latkes alone – life would be a lot better, a lot easier and the world honestly would be a better place. Since we seem to spend hours and hours collecting the best and brightest recipes available on the internet each year, we wanted to give you, darling Pitusa reader, a look in to our collection and provide you with some of the best tried and true recipes available! You honestly can’t go wrong with these babies. And since we’re always on the up and up when it comes to wellness trends but we’re also realistic when it comes to what tastes good and what tastes like dried paint, we are pointing you in the right direction when it comes to where you should splurge and use the traditional refined sugar, real flour and heaps of butter and where it actually tastes even better to use those more wholesome ingredients that are on the dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free side of things. We like balance when it comes to our clothes and our food: a little bit wholesome, a little bit decadent, a little bit comfy, a little bit chic.

SWEDEN, DENMARK, NORWAY // GLOGG

This recipe is taken from one of our all-time fave recipe blogs, Green Kitchen Stories. They’re based in Sweden and this one in particular is an alcohol-free version, for all you #PreggiesInPitusa fans out there.

ITALY // CHOCOLATE SALAME

This Neopolitan Christmas treat can be found all over Italy if you really know where to look (and who to ask). We have made this recipe from Nigella more times than we care to admit, and it actually makes the perfect little gift, it’s so cute when you tie it up with string.

GERMANY, THE NETHERLANDS AND DENMARK // Pfeffernüsse (Spice Cookies)

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This recipe we took from Saveur,  they really know what they’re doing when it comes to cookies and in comparison to other recipes, it’s not nearly as difficult: German Spice Cookies (Pfeffernüsse) | SAVEUR.

BRAZIL // BRIGADEIRO

These are so easy to make and such a crowd-pleaser – plus, the recipe yields so many that you can bring them to lots of different gatherings! We like this one from Food & Wine.

ISRAEL // LATKES

With Hannukkah right around the corner, and latkes being a favorite year round, we urge you to get the Ottolenghi cookbook “Jerusalem” for the absolute best recipe for latkes. Failing that, this Melissa Clark recipe from the NYT comes a very close second. Don’t let the holiday season slip by without having a latke or seven!

UK // MINCE PIES

When it comes to mince pies, you’ve got to go BBC all the way – and if anyone knows their mince pies, it’s Paul Hollywood, so it’s really a no-brainer. But for the more healthy version, head to our all-time fave sister duo Hemsley & Hemsley. We’ve made their mince pie recipes for a few years now, and we love how much it pleases our sugar-loving family (we keep the fact that it’s actually not terrible for you under wraps).

FRANCE // BUCHE DE NOEL

If you’ve ever had the pleasure to spend a Christmas in France, you’ll know that a main attraction of any self-respecting French family is the Buche de Noel. We really love Nourished Kitchen as a way to look up both recipes for feeding your family but also for post-partum health. What’s fantastic about this version of the recipe is that it doesn’t have the very heavy ingredients and still comes out just as delicious.

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