MAIN INGREDIENTS
This delicious German sweet pastry is traditionally served with a cup of coffee on the side. Initially made only in the Hamburg area, it is now also available in other German cities. The original recipe for these little pastries includes flour, butter, milk, yeast, and sugar, with a filling consisting of sugar and cinnamon.
However, raisins, chocolate, or pumpkin seeds may also be added. The dough is folded multiple times and glazed with butter, developing a sticky coating and rich flavor in the process. The name of this dish is possibly related to the French, who had occupied Hamburg during Napoleon's rule.
MOST ICONIC Franzbrötchen
Krapfen was probably the first European-style doughnut to appear, followed by similar varieties in other countries. These pastries are traditionally prepared with leavened dough that is deep-fried until golden and crispy on the outside, while they remain soft, light, and airy on the inside.
Though krapfen can be prepared plain, they are most often filled or topped with jams, and vanilla or chocolate custards, while the top is usually dusted with powdered sugar or drizzled with chocolate. The origin of the word krapfen dates back to 9th century, and the recipes in German can be found as early as the 14th century.
MOST ICONIC Berliner Pfannkuchen
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Austrian cuisine prides in their old traditional pastry desserts, and the delicate strudels are surely the most popular variety. Even though it is not as famous as the apple filled version, topfenstrudel is regarded as one of Austria’s favorites.
Made with soft, mildly sweetened quark cheese which is folded with the elastic and almost see-through dough or puff pastry, the strudel is baked until a crispy golden crust is formed on top. Raisins, apricots, and peaches are occasionally added to the quark cheese mixture, which is gently spiced with vanilla or lemon.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Magdeburger schmalzkuchen is a small, deep-fried pastry, considered a local specialty in the city of Magdeburg. It usually consists of yeast dough flavored with vanilla extract or vanilla sugar and lemon zest or juice. Typically rectangular or diamond-shaped, the fried pastries are consumed warm, dusted with confectioners' sugar.
These small doughy pillows coated with confectioners' sugar are a staple at festivals, carnivals, and Christmas markets throughout the country.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
This German specialty consists of thin strips of shortcrust pastry that are loosely intertwined and wrapped into balls which are deep-fried until golden and crispy. Traditional versions are dusted with sugar, but there are also variations may be covered in chocolate glaze or different combinations of nuts, coconut, cinnamon, or marzipan.
Schneeballen, which translates as snowballs, are traditionally associated with Rothenberg ob der Tauber, but they can be found throughout Bavaria. Although they were once enjoyed only on special occasions, nowadays they are a staple at numerous Bavarian pastry shops.
MOST ICONIC Schneeballen
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Legend has it that, in the 18th century, a messenger of the Electorate of Saxony regularly frequented Dresden and Meissen. The courier was a bit too fond of the famous Meissen wine, and he would drink so much that he would be unable to carry out his duties.
The Elector then ordered the bakers of Meissner to invent a cake that was so fragile it would break at the slightest vibration, and the Fummel was created. Meissner Fummel is an elongated, tapered, hollow, and extremely fragile pastry.
MOST ICONIC Meißner Fummel
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.