Trifle is kind of an Australian favourite and always (if done well) a show-stopper. This recipe tips its hat to our Indigenous ingredients with a centrepiece of Illawarra plum and lemon myrtle bringing citrus and sweetness as well a storebought spongecake for ease. Build it high and watch it fly.
Illawarra Plum & Lemon Myrtle Limoncello Trifle Source: Warndu Mai (Good Food)
‘Arroz con leche’ is a popular children’s treat in Argentina and traditionally it might have been something waiting for you when you arrived home from school. We stand by it being just as good when you come home from work or need a late-night snack. It’s easy to prepare and like many Argentine dishes, it can feed many.
Source: Rachel Tolosa Paz
Savoury pudding? Absolutely! Very similar to the Ashkenazi Jewish dish kugel, from which it is almost certainly derived, it is also typically made from potato. It is important that you use particularly starchy ones here – if you can’t find any, then add some cornflour (cornstarch) to the mix as everything must bind together well. Commonly served with apple or lingonberry preserves, this also tastes delicious reheated.
Potato pudding (Kūgelis) Source: Baltic by Simon Bajada
Known as Saint John’s pasta pudding, this dessert from Ibiza is synonymous with the midsummer celebration of Sant Joan at the end of June. There’s even a small white-washed village called Sant Joan de Labritja. This pasta-based version of rice pudding was originally made to use up homemade pasta before the heat of summer spoiled the batch. It used to be served with water, as milk was considered a luxury, but thankfully, nowadays, milk is the standard, which makes this a much creamier and more delicate treat.
Saint John’s Pasta Pudding Source: Rochelle Eagle
This chilled rice pudding is spiced with the classic Lebanese aromatics of cinnamon, nutmeg, caraway and anise! It can be made ahead of time, which is handy for entertaining. Serve with strong black coffee or tea to balance out the creamy sweetness.
Spiced rice pudding Source: One World Kitchen
Served warm or cold, these sweet Sri Lankan puddings are perfect as a year-round snack. Enjoy it like the Sri Lankans with an aromatic spiced tea as an afternoon pick-me-up!
Sri Lankan semolina pudding Source: Murdoch Books / © Kim Lightbody
Tiramisu is easily the most exported Italian dessert. Many don’t know that it was first devised in Treviso, at the restaurant Le Becchiere. A recent dispute between Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia has put a question mark on its actual authorship, stating that there are actually four original versions: two Venetian (from the Treviso area), and two from the neighbouring region, and that all are legit. For tiramisu, Italian-style percolated (Moka pot) coffee is best. A concentrated cafetière brew works, too, while filter or instant coffee won’t stand up to the task.
Traditional Italian tiramisu. Source: Guardian Faber
Every single Cantonese restaurant in the world has mango pudding on the menu. This recipe from Dan Hong gives this classic more texture and puts his stamp on it by adding tapioca, those mouth-popping balls that you eat with frozen yoghurt, fresh pomelo and mango, as well as passionfruit granita to accentuate the tropical fruit vibe.
Source: Mr Hong by Dan Hong (Murdoch Books)
These little chocolate cakes cook very quickly to retain an oozy, almost uncooked centre. For a fun variation, push a square of white chocolate into the middle of the dough before baking and you too could be indulging in coulant just like us.
Source: SBS Food
This dish was created for the royal family of Pahang and in Malaysia uses small, sweet bananas. In Australia, we don't have as many varieties of banana readily available as there are in Malaysia, so this uses the common Cavendish banana sweetened with a drizzle of honey.
Source: Adam and Poh's Malaysia in Australia
This traditional English pudding is quintessential nursery food – nurturing, soul-warming and economical. Feel free to replace the mixed berry jam with raspberry, plum or strawberry to ensure the sweet but subtle middle layer suits your tastes.
Queen of puddings Source: Alan Benson
Maybe the bread pudding started with the British, but Australia has beautiful bakeries, and we all love sourdough! So what do we do when it goes stale or we have off-cuts? This is a great warming dessert or sliced and served with tea. Rich, flavoursome and very economical to make.
Sourdough bread pudding Source: Peter Kuruvita's Coastal Kitchen
Derived in name and form from German kugel puddings, the Jewish kugel, a bake of various grated vegetables and eggs, is a popular side dish made during festive holidays. For Passover Seder, grain products of noodles or pasta are often replaced with matzo meal.
Vegetable pudding (kugel) Source: Brett Stevens
Often served on Good Friday, this golden Mexican bread pudding consists of chunks of bread soaked in a sweet sherry mixture, and topped with queso Oaxaca, a stringy Mexican cheese that is similar to mozzarella.
Bread pudding (capirotada) Source: Chris Chen
South Africans are renowned for their sweet tooth and many different types of poedings (puddings) feature among their line-up of traditional desserts. This classic vinegar pudding is not nearly as sour as the name would suggest – the vinegar (asyn) in the sugar syrup simply adds a nice balance in flavour and counteracts the intensity of the sweetness.
Vinegar pudding (asynpoeding)
