Typical Christmas desserts: 10 ideas from Italy and Europe

TheChristmas holidays is a magical period from a thousand points of view, even at the table: above all, Christmas desserts are an appointment with unmissable delicacies, to be experienced without feelings of guilt!

In addition to the very traditional panettone and pandoro, there are many other Christmas sweets typical of different areas of Italy and Europe.

Let's discover some of them and see what “superfood” twist we could give these recipes replicated at home!

The 10 typical Christmas desserts from different regions and countries

1. Panettone from Lombardy

The classic one, with its yellow egg pasta, fragrant and moist, enriched with candied fruit and raisins, has ancient origins, dating back to the court of Ludovico il Moro in Milan.

2. Nougat from Lombardy

Soft or crunchy, nougat is immediately Christmassy: originally from the city of Cremona, it is a mix of sugar, egg white and lots of dried fruit, which makes it truly rich and nutritious. How to give it a superfood touch? Adding the crunchy note of our cocoa nibs!

3. Pandoro from Veneto

This delicate delight was born in Verona towards the end of the 19th century, often compared to panettone in a sort of Christmas "derby". And you, are you team panettone or team pandoro?!

4. Panforte or gingerbread from Tuscany

Typical of the city of Siena but now famous throughout Italy, this preparation of water, honey, almonds, candied fruit, ginger and dried fruit is a true concentrate of energy! Why not try adding a touch of maca?

5. Christmas log from Piedmont

Piedmont does not hold back when it comes to using rich and delicious local ingredients, and the Christmas log is a real triumph in this sense. A soft and buttery biscuit dough, filled with chestnut and hazelnut cream, covered in chocolate... the additional idea is to use our cocoa powder for the filling and covering cream.

6. Struffoli from Campania

Looking at them, they look like small golden nuggets: a pastry fried and then dipped in honey, covered in colored sugar sprinkles. Try using manuka honey to enrich them even more!

7. Secured from Puglia

They look like nests or crowns, the Apulian folders: the dough, cut into long "tagliatelle", is fried and then embellished with cooked wine must or honey. The combination of cooked wine with dog rose is really worth trying!

8. Stollen from Germany

A soft leavened dough enriched with candied fruit, dried fruit, raisins... a sort of reinterpretation of our panettone, but with a more elongated shape and a more "gnucca" consistency. Adding a few teaspoons of acai powder could be the right idea to give color and accentuate the fruity flavour.

9. Speculoos from Belgium

Cinnamon, some hate it and some love it! If you love it, you will also love speculoos, shortcrust pastry biscuits flavored with cinnamon and ginger, whose paternity is disputed by several countries, including Belgium, Holland and Austria.

10. Kugelhopf from Austria

Another leavened dessert with a consistency somewhere between a cake and a brioche, rich in almonds and raisins, usually made in the shape of a donut. To best bind the dough and give it softness, psillio is ideal.