Recipes | I've Been Cooking

Pen Patat

Pen Patat is a traditional Haitian sweet potato pudding baked until set and fragrant with warm spices. This lush, custardy dessert blends coconut, evaporated, and condensed milks with banana, raisins, vanilla, rum, and lime zest for deep tropical flavor and a caramelized edge.

🇭🇹 Haiti$$

Fougasse Monégasque

A festive Monégasque sweet bread scented with orange blossom water, citrus zest, and anise, enriched with milk, butter, and eggs. Studded with candied fruits and raisins, then topped with nuts, sesame, and pearl sugar for a celebratory crunch.

🇲🇨 Monaco$$

Butter Tarts

Classic Canadian butter tarts with a glossy, gooey filling of brown sugar, maple and corn syrup, studded with raisins and pecans in flaky store-bought shells. Sweet, sticky, and rich with buttery caramel notes and a hint of vanilla. Easy to bake and perfect for holidays or afternoon treats.

🇨🇦 Canada$$

Arctic Char Aspic

A classic, crystal-clear arctic char aspic set with aromatic fish stock, white wine, and bright citrus, layered with tender poached fish and fresh herbs. Elegant, make-ahead, and served chilled for a refined starter.

🇸🇯 Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands$$$

Pepperkaker

Classic Norwegian pepperkaker (spiced gingerbread cookies) with warming ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and a subtle kick of black pepper—crisp, deeply aromatic, and perfect for the holidays.

🇳🇴 Norway$

Bustrengo

Bustrengo is a rustic Italian cake from Emilia-Romagna made with cornmeal, flour, dried fruits, apples, milk, eggs, honey, and warm spices. Moist and aromatic, it’s studded with nuts and citrus zest for a fragrant, hearty dessert.

🇸🇲 San Marino$$

Tinginys

Tinginys is a classic Lithuanian no-bake chocolate biscuit cake: crushed tea biscuits bound with a cocoa–vanilla condensed milk and butter mixture, studded with toasted walnuts, then chilled and finished with dark chocolate for a fudgy, sliceable treat.

🇱🇹 Lithuania$$

Panforte di Siena

Panforte di Siena is a dense, spiced Italian confection from Tuscany packed with toasted almonds, hazelnuts, and candied citrus bound in a honey-sugar syrup. Rich, chewy, and aromatic with cocoa and warm spices, it’s a classic festive dessert best served in thin wedges.

🇮🇹 Italy$$$

Turks and Caicos Rum Cake

A moist, island-style Turks and Caicos rum cake scented with cinnamon, nutmeg, and bright lime zest. Studded with rum-kissed raisins and toasted pecans, it’s finished with a warm rum soak for a tender, celebratory crumb.

🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos Islands$$$

Svalbard–Jan Mayen Lutefisk

A classic Nordic holiday dish of lye-soaked dried cod gently baked and served with boiled potatoes, butter, crisp bacon, peas, mustard, and flatbread. Silky, savory, and deeply traditional to the North Atlantic islands and Arctic Norway.

🇸🇯 Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands$$

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