Cookies

Makroud el louse are flourless Algerian cookies consisting of almonds, eggs, sugar, and a flavoring of orange flower water. Baked until lightly browned, these cookies are typically tossed in powdered sugar in order to be completely coated. Once co... READ MORE

Argentinian alfajores are sandwich cookies consisting of two round, crumbly sweet cookies with a dulce de leche or milk jam stuffing between them. The combination is then coated with a layer of chocolate or sprinkled with confectioners' s... READ MORE

Though they are thought to have originated in ancient Phoenicia, melomakaronas are nowadays a typical Greek Christmas treat. These delicious semolina cookies are traditionally flavored with honey, orange zest, cinnamon and other spices, olive oil,... READ MORE

Usually accompanied by a glass of milk or a cup of hot tea or coffee, chocolate chip cookies are well balanced between salty and sweet in flavor, tenderly chewy in texture, and filled with small melting chocolate pyramids, bringing a generation of... READ MORE

These delicious Dutch cookies consist of a very thin layer of syrup, sugar, butter, and cinnamon that is sandwiched between two thin wafers. Stroopwafels were invented in the late 18th century in the city of Gouda, and many sources give credit to ... READ MORE

Marranito or puerquito is a traditional pan dulce (sweet bread) variety. These pan dulce cookie-like small cakes are shaped into pigs and flavored with ginger. They're made with a combination of flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, baking p... READ MORE

The dainty petticoat tails gained their peculiar name and distinctive shape by resembling the pieces of fabric used to create the elaborate 16th-century petticoats, including that of Mary Queen of Scots, who was reputed to have been particularly f... READ MORE

Speculaas are spiced cookies mainly made in Belgium and the Netherlands, although they are also popular in Germany (Rhineland and Westphalia), Luxembourg and northern France. With an intense fragrance of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger, the c... READ MORE

Commonly found throughout Austria, Hungary, and Germany, vanillekipferl are traditional, sweet, crescent-shaped cookies consisting of flour, sugar, butter, and vanilla. The cookies often contain ground nuts such as hazelnuts, almonds, or walnuts. ... READ MORE

Baci di dama, meaning lady's kisses, are traditional hazelnut butter cookies with a layer of chocolate-hazelnut spread sandwiched between them. They originated in pastry shops in Tortona, Piedmont (famous for its hazelnuts), in the second... READ MORE

Bradj, also known as mbardja, mteqba, or mbarja, is a traditional diamond-shaped pastry from the northeast, traditional consumed in Constantinois, Jijel, Bibans, and Kabylie region. This diamond-shaped delicacy consists ... READ MORE

These crescent-shaped cookies are usually associated with Morocco, but they can be found throughout Algeria and Tunisia in slightly different forms and under various names. Their name translates as gazelle ankles, but they are better know... READ MORE

İzmir bombası, also known as praline stuffed cookies, is a distinct type of qurabiya (a type of Arab and Ottoman shortbread cookie) from Turkish cuisine that boasts a chocolate spread filling. Originating from İzmir, this dessert features a crispy... READ MORE

These delicate Greek cookies are prepared with ground almonds, egg whites, sugar, and various flavorings such as orange blossom water, liqueurs, or vanilla. Usually decorated with almonds or almond slivers, they come in different forms and are occ... READ MORE

Baci di Alassio are decadent chocolate-hazelnut cookies from the small picturesque Ligurian town of Alassio. They are called baci, meaning kisses, because they consist of two small hazelnut cookies with a rich chocolate ganache s... READ MORE

This flat, marzipan-filled Maltese cookie is typically shaped into lambs or bunnies because it is traditionally prepared during the Easter festivities. These sweet treats are often decorated with icing, melted chocolate, or chocolate Easter eggs. ... READ MORE

Cornmeal is widely used in northern Italian cuisine, in dishes which can be either savory or sweet. The region of Piedmont is renowned for their paste di meliga (meliga is a local name for polenta), crunchy cornmeal shortbread-st... READ MORE

These small, round, sweet meringue-based cookie sandwiches with filling in the middle are light and crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle. Macarons, which first appeared in Italy in 1533 (albeit without the filling), got their name from t... READ MORE

This classic Breton cookie is characterized by its sandy (sablé in French) texture, which is a result of large quantities of butter and egg yolks used to make them. The cookies were first produced in 1670 in Sablé-sur-Sarthe... READ MORE

The history of Nuremberg's gingerbread is closely tied to the city's role as a crossroad of several European trade routes, a position that bestowed the city with spices from distant countries. Nürnberger Lebkuchen are typically large, round g... READ MORE

Even though they are often referred as Toruń gingerbread cookies, pierniki derive their name from the Polish word pieprz, meaning pepper. The authentic recipe is still a closely guarded secret, but they are traditionally made with wheat or rye flo... READ MORE

Laskonky are popular Slovak and Czech cookies consisting of two crispy meringues combined with various buttercream fillings. The meringues occasionally contain ground walnuts or coconut and are usually baked into thin, oval shapes. Traditionally, ... READ MORE

Krumiri are typical Piemontese cookies dating back to 1870, when they were invented by a confectioner named Domenico Rossi. These handmade cookies are made with a combination of fresh eggs, flour, sugar, butter, and vanilla. When the texture becom... READ MORE

Bethmännchen have been a Christmas staple in Germany for over 200 years. Hailing from Frankfurt, these cookies are made from marzipan dough that is infused with rose water. Before they are glazed and baked, each cookie is decorated with three... READ MORE

Acıbadem kurabiyesi are traditional Turkish cookies. They're made with a combination of egg whites, sugar, and almond flour. Traditionally, a few bitter almonds would be used in the preparation, but as they're not readily available today, almond e... READ MORE

Štramberské uši is a baked product made from flour, sugar, eggs, water, baking powder, honey or caramel, and spices such as cloves, aniseed, cinnamon, and star anise. After baking, the dough is twisted into a cone shape, makin... READ MORE

Coyotas are traditional Mexican cookies that were invented in Hermosillo, Sonora in the 19th century. They are made from flour dough and filled with piloncillo – unrefined Mexican sugar. The name coyotas is literally transl... READ MORE

Pardubický perník is a baked pastry product made in the city of Pardubice and the municipality of Spojil in the Czech Republic since the 16th century, but the production really took off in the 20th century. It is a decorated gingerbr... READ MORE

Silvanas are the snack version of a traditional Filipino dessert known as sans rival. These frozen cookie sandwiches are made with two cashew-meringue wafers that are held together with a thick layer of buttercream and are generously coat... READ MORE

Canestrelli liguri are ancient Ligurian flower-shaped butter cookies with a hole in the center, allegedly named after canestro, a straw basket in which they were left to cool down after baking. Although they are quite simple, made only wi... READ MORE

These oval-shaped Maltese cookies are prepared with a combination of ground almonds, flour, sugar, cocoa, citrus zest, orange blossom water, and various spices such as cinnamon or cloves. When baked, they are smeared with honey and sprinkled with ... READ MORE

Snickerdoodles are classic old-fashioned cookies that are rolled in a mixture of cinnamon and white sugar, consisting of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. They are characterized by their texture (soft or crispy), a cracked surface of the exterior, a... READ MORE

Ma'amoul is an ancient cookie filled with fruits and nuts such as dates, walnuts, and pistachios. The cookies are traditionally prepared for Easter, festivals, and celebrations, and they are typically shaped into balls or domes. In order to differ... READ MORE

Various types of Danish cookies are all united under the name småkager. This broad group incorporates traditional and modern varieties which differ in ingredients, shape, and consistency. Today, they are usually prepared with wheat ... READ MORE

Perníčky is a term used to describe traditional Czech cookies spiced with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. They are usually cut out into different shapes and decorated with chocolate, yogurt, sliced almonds, candy, and sugar ... READ MORE

Almendrados are traditional Spanish cookies. They're made with a combination of blanched almonds, granulated sugar, eggs, and lemon zest. Egg whites are first beaten until stiff, then combined with sugar, egg yolks, lemon zest, and ground almonds.... READ MORE

These crispy and buttery shortbread cookies are a classic Greek dessert. Even though some variations occasionally employ walnuts, they are traditionally prepared with a rich dough that incorporates ground almonds, butter, and various flavorings su... READ MORE

Anzac biscuits are sweet cookies made from a combination of flour, oats, golden syrup, butter, sugar, coconut, and soda bicarbonate. Although the origins of these cookies are not clear, both Australia and New Zealand claim to have invented Anzac b... READ MORE

These delicious thumbprint cookies are an absolute must for Christmas in Germany. They are traditionally made with a simple shortcrust base that is filled with red currant jam. Interestingly, in some parts of Germany, engelsaugen (angel e... READ MORE

Kurabiiki is a Bulgarian variety of the popular Middle Eastern cookies known as qurabiya. In Bulgaria, these sweet cookies consisting of butter, honey, egg yolks, sugar, and flour are especially popular during the festive holiday season. ... READ MORE

Bredele are small biscuits that are traditionally prepared during the festive Christmas season in the French region of Alsace. The biscuits come in many shapes and flavors such as lemon, honey, and almond. Although the first known recipes for bred... READ MORE

Florentines are traditional cookies that are especially popular in Europe, and although not much is known about their origin, the cookies were most likely invented in France in the late 17th century. They are made with a combination of nuts (most ... READ MORE