However, what we tend to shout about less are the homegrown recipes we locals grew up with, the tastes that punctuate British cooking. While most visitors to London try to seek out a traditional fish and chips, English breakfast or Sunday Roast during their stay, one thing I think Britain does very well are desserts. And happily for Cheapos, these are almost always quite affordable!

Here’s a run down of my favorite desserts to look out for on any pub menu during your stay. I’m sure you won’t regret giving them a try.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

The absolute dream dessert for anyone with an ultra sweet tooth, Sticky Toffee Pudding is about as traditional as it gets. Nobody is quite sure when the recipe was really invented, but some believe it is as early as the start of the 1900’s. The pudding itself is a lovely steamed sponge with a dark, toffee color due to presence of dates and black tea in the recipe. The sponge is topped with a thick, rich, warm toffee sauce.

It’s normally served with cream, custard or vanilla ice cream, all of which make a welcome addition when matched with the intense sweetness of the dessert. Your teeth will hate you for this one, but your stomach will love you!

Fruit crumble is a summertime staple. Photo: rukakuusamo

Fruit Crumble

A summer favorite, crumble has been a staple British dessert since the 1940’s and you’ll find it made with lots of different fruit combinations on dessert menus across London. Traditionally, a fruit crumble is made with stewed apples, blackberries, rhubarb and sometimes sharp gooseberries. The delicious sweetened stewed fruit mixture is then covered with a crunchy “crumble” topping of sugar, flour and butter. It’s best eaten hot with a dollop of cold vanilla ice cream.

A trifle is nothing to overlook. Photo: Brooke Raymond

Trifle

One of the oldest British desserts, and one that highlights the nation’s love of custard, Trifle has been a traditional sweet since the 1500’s. Trifle isn’t found as regularly as other desserts on restaurant menus and tends to be a more nostalgic dish that everybody’s mum “used to make.” If you do spot it being sold somewhere, then it’s well worth a try, or alternatively you can pick one up in supermarkets like Marks & Spencer for a few pounds.

The main ingredient is thick custard, which is layered with sweet sponge cake, fruit jelly, fresh strawberries or raspberries, cream and a bit of sherry to give it a kick.

Eton Mess is a popular sugary mix of goodness. Photo: Curns

Eton Mess

This simple summer dessert is said to have been invented at Eton College in the 1930’s. It’s a sugary mixture of crushed meringues, fresh chopped strawberries and whipped cream that continues to be a popular choice with Brits today.

Bread and Butter Pudding

Very English and ever traditional, while Bread and Butter Pudding may sound like a strange way to end a meal, it really is delicious, with a surprisingly delicate taste. This dessert has been a staple dish since the 1700s at least, and is made by layering buttered bread and raisins with cream or milk, cinnamon and nutmeg. The dish is baked in the oven so that it is crispy on top and and gloriously soft underneath. It’s normally served warm with ice cream.

Where to try them

Good pubs in London will always offer a wide selection of traditional desserts, so check out our post on the best pubs in London and traditional British restaurants for some ideas.

Other locales of note include London’s oldest restaurant, Rules in Covent Garden, where they serve up a mean Sticky Toffee Pudding, if not a little on the pricey side at £7.95. Canteen is also worth a look – this small chain has restaurants on the South Bank, Canary Wharf, Baker Street and Spitalfields, and specializes in reviving classic Brit dishes. The desserts are delicious and start from a more palatable £4.50 each.

Roast in Borough Market and Market in Camden Town also offer a mouthwatering selection of typical desserts starting from around £7 each.

Have a favorite British dessert?

Did we miss one of your favorite British desserts? Have a suggestion for a great place to try any of those listed? Share with us (please!) in our comments section below.

The post London: 5 classic British desserts found on most pub menus appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

So I did. Pastry chef, blogger, and author David Lebovitz just launched a new iPhone application last week called “Paris Pastry Shops” that includes 300 of his hand-picked favorite places in Paris to indulge in sweets.

Lebovitz, a favorite resource among expats, tourists and locals, took a few minutes to discuss how to find the right pastries at the right price in the City of Light.

If you found a €2 coin and had a sweet craving, where would you go?

I would probably go to a really good bakery and get a croissant such as the ones listed in the app, like Blé Sucré (Square Trousseau 7, rue Antoine Vollon). Generally you can get one for €1.05, and that’s a really good deal.

What’s the worst way to waste money on pastries or chocolate?

I think people shouldn’t necessarily assume price goes with quality. There are a lot of neighborhood bakeries that make very good pastries but that are not famous and are not Ladurée or Pierre Hermé (which are good, but you can do very well in neighborhood bakeries spending a fraction of the money for exceptional quality).

In the app we tried to include things that were not necessarily well known but were places for people who are a little more adventurous and looking for bargains.

Why an app for the iPhone?

I started a guidebook several years ago and I spoke with several of my publishers who said guidebooks are going out of favor. I figured a lot of people come to France for pastries and chocolates and ice cream, so this was a natural fit.

When smart phones became more prolific, it seemed like the perfect format for this sort of application. It can be updated and readers can add their own favorites and share things. The price of the app is also lower. Plus you can include hundreds and hundreds of photos, so even if you’re not going to Paris you can still enjoy the pastries.

Are there any sweets you don’t like?

I don’t like desserts that are heavily sweetened. I like caramel that’s slightly burnt, lemony things, bitter chocolates. I search for things that are more balanced, things that have a sweet edge.

What’s your favorite splurge?

I would go to Fouquet and get a big box of the chocolate covered spice wafers called “croquantes.” They are addictive and exceptional. I’d get a big tin of those and eat them all by myself.

Favorite neighborhood for sweets?

There’s a high concentration of very good places in the 6th because there are lots of tourists and lots of money there. But I think if you explore the 11th there are lots of good places, like Blé Sucré. I think that this part of Paris is a lot more interesting.

Farthest you’ll travel for a sweet?

I won’t take three Metro lines. Generally two is my maximum. If I have to change more than two Metros I won’t bother.

Do you ever get sick of pastries or chocolate?

Not really. I actually like to taste a lot of things. It’s hard for me to eat a whole pastry. It’s more interesting to try bites of different things. I like bite-sized pastries. I kind of graze, so I’ll sit around and eat little bits and bites of things, instead of an entire cake, which is good for my waistline.

For more information on his new app, check out David’s blog at www.davidlebovitz.com

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1. Appeltaart met slagroom
Typical price: €3.75

Apple pie with whipped cream will always be a soft spot for the Dutch. In cafes this pie is usually on display, letting all eyes marvel at its deep, staggering slices of apple cinnamon filling and towering, dense crust. It’s served cold or at room temperature, so add some whipped cream on the side and dive your dessert fork into a swirly dream of delight.

2. Stroopwafel
Typical price: €1 (at the market), €2.50 (grocery store)

Take a very thin waffle iron, cinnamon batter, remove from heat, pour thick stroop syrup over one waffle and press it against another hot waffle to make a soft and gooey syrup sandwich. That’s a stroopwaffle; and they’re to die for. Buy them warm and king-size at the outdoor markets or pre-packaged in the supermarket (which would make a great cheapo souvenir… if you can resist them!).

3. Poffertjes
Typical price: €2.50

Think warm, puffy pancakes the size of quarters, showered with a flurry of powder sugar and a drizzle of stroop syrup. Poffertjes are a good excuse for a sugary breakfast, but are also considered a cozy snack during the winter months. These silver-dollar cousins are served best with hot chocolate or spiced wine, especially after an afternoon spent ice skating.

4. Amandel koekie
Typical price: €1

Amandel koekie are little almond cakes easily finished in two or three bites. The cake is a cheap buy at the supermarket (usually located next to the stroopwafels), but are also available fresh out of the oven in the bakery section for about a euro. Just look for the golden cookie-shaped cake with a naked almond on top, and enjoy.

5. Peren ijs
Typical price: €.75

This pear-flavored Popsicle is a summer treat, a favorite among kids and perfect for cooling off at the beach. They’re cheap, not too sugary, and carry a light, natural taste. These sticks of soothing satisfaction can be picked up from most ice cream vendors, gas stations and beach snack shacks.

The post Amsterdam: 5 delicious Dutch desserts not to be missed appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

In New York, slinking into hermit-dom is not an option. Instead, this New Yorker’s winter survival guide involves lots of inside breaks. But one can only take so many cups of coffee before that jittery caffeine feeling sinks in, so why not mix it up with a little hot chocolate? I’m not talking a powdery packet of Swiss Miss (this is New York after all), but rather creamy, frothy and decadent, grown-up style hot chocolate. And here, because even this comforting cold weather favorite can get pricey (this is New York after all), a list of the best, and most affordable, cups of chocolately goodness in the city.

City Bakery
3 West 18th Street
Web site

Part cafeteria, part bakery, part café, this bustling New York mainstay pretty much does it all—and does it well. In terms of the treat in question, well, let’s just say hot chocolate has its very own month-long festival at City Bakery. Each February, the bakery takes its already gush-worthy hot chocolate (made from pure melted chocolate bars) to a whole new level, with daily-changing specialties like Tropical Hot Chocolate, Sunken Treasure Hot Chocolate and Bourbon Hot Chocolate (yes please!). At $5 per cup, this is the priciest pick of the list, but a hot chocolate with its own festival is well worth the splurge.

Shake Shack
Various locations: 11 Madison Avenue (Madison Square Park); 691 8th Avenue; 154 East 86th Street; 366 Columbus Avenue
Web site

It started as, literally, a shack in Madison Square Park, serving mouthwatering burgers and crazy-delicious ice cream treats called “concretes” to miles-long lines of enthusiasts. The shack now has multiple locations throughout the city, but that doesn’t make its take on American classics any less yummy. For those looking to swap an icey treat for something warmer, I’ve five words for you: Salted Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate. Oh yes, they went there. This decadent concoction is Shake Shack custard creamy, with a mix of sweet chocolate, sticky peanut butter and a dash of salt to round it all out. And only $3.75.

OTTO Enoteca Pizzeria
1 Fifth Avenue
Web site

Aroma hot chocolate

Mario Batali’s most casual—and affordable—outlet is one of this writer’s favorite restaurants in all of New York. Yet despite semi-regular visits to dip into the extensive wine list and indulge in fresh and creative pizzas and pastas, I had not, until writing this story, tasted the Gianduja Calda ($4.50), the pizzeria’s smooth, nutty hot chocolate made by melting milk and hazelnut chocolates into hazelnut-steeped milk. Imagine a piping hot cup of rich, melted Nutella.

The verdict: Molto bene! And a tip: While it’s perfectly acceptable to sidle up to the long marble bar and order a Gianduja, keep in mind that OTTO is a restaurant, not a café. Its roomy bar area is nightly packed with discerning foodies sipping wine, nibbling appetizers and awaiting tables, so get your hazelnut fix during the day.

Popbar
5 Carmine Street
Web site

This fun and funky dessert spot specializing in gelato-on-a-stick wins the award for “most fun hot chocolate.”  Here the sweet treat is partially DIY: You get a cup of steamed milk and a cube of Belgian chocolate on (you guessed it!) a stick for dipping. The starting price is $3.75 and if for some reason you need a second cube—or you simply can’t choose between dark chocolate and caramel—a second stick costs$2.50.

Aroma Espresso Bar
145 Greene Street
Web site

Israel’s most popular espresso bar chain can always be counted on for great coffee. This sunny location is, incidentally, a favorite EuroCheapo coffee purveyor, given its location just around the corner from our headquarters. Here at EC, we love Aroma’s fresh food, tasty coffee and the tiny chocolate bars that come with each cup. Which brings me to the subject at hand. Hot chocolate at Aroma is a simple but delicious affair, made by dropping a couple of the chains original chocolate into a cup of hot milk ($4).

The effect is a sort of layered drinking experience. First you encounter a sweet, cool dollop of whipped cream, topped with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar. Next you stir (this step is key), since the chocolate resides at the cup’s bottom. The drink itself is lighter and less rich than most of the New York hot chocolates, but still quite tasty. But the best comes last, in the form of the clumps of melted chocolate that remain at the bottom of the cup. A helpful hint: Don’t stir too thoroughly.

The post Warm up with New York’s best hot chocolate appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Remember that amazing tiramisu you had in Rome? How about that chocolate éclair in Paris? Given New York’s international nature, you don’t have to hop a plane across the pond to rediscover your favorite international sweets. There are plenty of sweet shops around the city to satisfy a traveler’s sweet tooth.

Here are some of my favorite places in New York to find authentic tastes from Europe and beyond:

French Sweets

Financier Pastisserie
62 Stone St (Multiple locations)
Web site

So you still have dreams about that sacher torte and almond berry tart you had while cruising through the French countryside? Financier offers these fine French treats, as well as traditional macarons (not the coconut ones!), madelines and palimer cookies. If you are looking to entertain for a larger crowd, they also have full cakes available for purchase. Chocolate Gianduja (hazelnut) Banana Cake anyone?

English Sweets

Tea and Sympathy
108 Greenwich Ave
Web site

Sure, the English may not be well-known for their food, but it’s hard to resist a delicately prepared scone and a traditional cup of tea! First, start off with a teapot of Earl Grey or English Breakfast tea while you take in the fitting décor and Cockney rhymes adorning the walls. The tiny space crowds quickly, but try sneaking in for their Tea For One in the afternoon, which includes finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, mini cakes—and a pot of steaming hot tea, of course!

Chinese Sweets

Tai Pan Bakery
194 Canal St
Web site

Straight out of Hong Kong, Tai Pan Bakery boasts one of the best egg tarts and shredded pork buns in the city. If you’re recovering from the sticker shock of European sweets, then settle for $1.10 egg tart and supplement with mango filled rice balls or taro mousse cake. Also consider sucking down one of their many boba (bubble) tea flavors for a refreshingly sweet liquid dessert! Tai Pan is located on Canal St., the heart of Chinatown, so don’t be deterred by a small crowd. The ladies behind the counter are happy to make sure you leave with enough buns and sponge cakes to last a week!

Italian Sweets

Ferrara Bakery & Café
195 Grand St
Web site

If you were ever a good Italian tourist, you wandered the streets of Rome and admired the ruins with a melting gelato cone in hand. Not only does Ferrara’s have a plentiful selection of gelato, they also have other delectable Italian pastries that allow you to embrace your inner Soprano. Chances are you will walk in with the intention to buy a cannoli (or two) and leave with a bag full of napoleans, fruit tartlets, pignolis, biscotti and tricolor rainbow cookies.

Though the bakery is located in the heart of Little Italy, arguably a huge tourist trap, but its authenticity is validated by the flurry of Italian spoken by both patrons and staff as you sip on your cappuccino or contemplate your sweet selection.

The post Finding authentic European treats in New York appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Then there are all the bakeries and chocolate shops. Temptation never teased me so as it does here in Barcelona. “Look at these tasty Nutella-filled croissants!” it says as I walk by the panaderia. “These bonbons will melt on your tongue,” it sings when I eye the Fargas chocolatier.

And eight times out of 10 I give right in to temptation. Why? Because A) I love dessert and B) Barcelona is a walking city, and if I have a truffle, I just skip the bus and walk home to burn off the calories…

Mauri’s hot chocolate. Photo: Acme

After a lovely, multi-course, wine-splashed Spanish or Catalan meal in the city, skip dessert at the restaurant and instead head over to one of my favorite sweet shops for the evening’s candied nightcap.

Bubo
Caputxes 10, Barcelona 08003

My goodness Bubo is divine! It is a tiny spot right off one of the Gothic Quarter’s most enchanting squares in front of the Cathedral Santa Maria del Mar. There are many wonderful restaurants in this barri (called “El Born”), and Bubo is an easy walk after lunch or dinner.

Half chocolate shop (their bonbons make for the perfect sugar-coated souvenir) and half petite dessert cafe, choose between cakes, tarts, truffles, and gourmet cookies. Some of my faves includes orange Sacher (give me orange and dark chocolate, anytime, anywhere), Marseille sponge cake with violet berry cream and raspberry mousse, or a simple strawberry sablée.

Bubo’s bonbons are filled with ganache or praline, and their bite-sized macaro cookies come in many vibrant colors and creative flavors. Or if you want something a bit lighter, then go for one of the Bubo mousses. Velvety mascarpone mousse with vanilla and raspberries will envelope your taste-buds, as will Bubo’s bittersweet chocolate mousse with lime gel.

Bubo is not cheap, but fairly priced. These are high quality desserts worth every euro cent, and true chocolate and sweet enthusiasts will not be disappointed.

Vioko Ice Creams and more
Passeig Joan de Borbo 55, Barceloneta 08003
Web site

Vioko is the new kid in town. Barcelona has an ice cream and gofre shop on every other corner, so when I saw that Vioko had opened up near the beach, I was skeptical, and then intrigued. With ice cream flavors such as violet, ginger, and rose, Vioko is not your average gelato stand.

No sir! This is quality ice cream, made from fresh ingredients and served in mammoth proportions. Last summer I ate more Vioko than I would like to admit. A goal of mine is to try all of their flavors, no matter how foreign. (It is important to have goals in life.) A cone will set you back about €3.50 or get a liter of their creamy concoctions for €18.

Mauri, the classic chocolatier
Rambla Catalunya 102, Barcelona, 08008

Since 1929 Mauri has been the go-to place for chocolates for those who want to impress. Nothing says “I have good taste and money” like Mauri. It is true, their candied lemon wedges dipped in dark chocolate and liquor-filled bonbons will set you back a few euros, but this is a small price to pay for history, tradition, and quality.

Aside from chocolates, Mauri also has a bakery and a tea shop. It is a fabulous idea to have a coffee in Mauri around 5 p.m. with a slice of something heavenly. They also do a daily lunch special, which has been delicious every time I have had it. Those who know and love chocolates will want to sample a couple of delectables from Mauri. Happily, two or three bonbons should not cost more than €5.

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It’s possible to take your treats away, or enjoy them in-house. The latter is an excellent idea as many of the sweet shops offer some of the city’s best atmospheres and in several cases a little piece of history with your cake.

The history of the cukrárna dates back to the first half of the 1770s when there were a number of coffee shops where it was possible to sit and enjoy cakes and other sweet goods. However, it wasn’t until the turn of the century and beginning of the 20th century when the true cukrárna made its mark on the Czech Republic.

Myšák cukrárna
Vodickova 710/31
Praha 1, Nové Mesto
Website

In 1910 František Myšák opened what would become one of the most popular establishments of the First Republic, the legendary Myšák cukrárna on Prague’s vibrant Vodickova street. The shop actually still exists today–a restored version–which just opened in 2008. Boasting a cubist façade, the interior was renovated to resemble the original version, with a modern twist.

Two years later, a coffee shop with a confectionary located in the cubist, House of the Black Madonna opened, followed by the Berger cukrárna, which, like Myšák, was also located on Vodickova street.

Erhartova Cukrárna
Milady Horákové 56
Praha 7
Web site

In 1937, another legendary First Republic sweet shop opened its doors: Erhartova Cukrárna. Like Myšak, it still exists today, having reopened it doors in 2007 to reveal a perhaps even more authentic version to the original. Besides its unique functionalist interior, the shop is known for the quality and attention to detail it puts into it sweets. I can attest. When I was there I had a piece of mascarpone cake, which I have not stopped thinking about ever since.

Svetozor
Vodickova 791/39
Praha 1, Nové Mesto
Web site

In the 1970’s, the first fruit cukrárna opened in Prague in an arcade just off, once again, Vodickova street (apparently a hot spot for sweet shops). Sharing the same name as the art house cinema that is next to it, Svetozor today sees people lining up in the summer for its fruit sorbet. Along with fruitcakes, cream-based cakes and other sweets, the shop’s completely glass outer wall offers the opportunity to indulge in people watching along with your sweet treat. Enjoy!

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