11 Egg-Based Desserts From Around The World

Eggs have had a mighty impact on desserts around the world. Due to trade and colonization, custards have exchanged hands throughout the ages. Modern-day cheesecake, for example, has its roots in the Roman Savillum, a savory, egg and ricotta snack that fueled long days of work. But the proteins found in eggs can do more than fuel a Roman soldier. Whisked together with just a few other ingredients, the humble egg creates creamy textures and adds richness to custards around the globe.

How does it work? The proteins in egg whites and yolks break down and regroup during the cooking process, becoming a thickening agent that creates the iconic gel-like consistency found in jiggly, stand-alone puddings or the silkiness in ice cream. In varying combinations of sugar, milk, and heat, eggs provide the backbone for a number of desserts the world over. And though each recipe relies on the quintessential properties of eggs, each is a unique example of its culture's flavors and culinary influence.

This custard may be Italian, but its origins trace back to Medieval England when puddings were savory, meat-filled affairs. Not so with Italian budino, a rich custard often flavored with coffee, deeply cooked caramel, or dark chocolate. Notably thicker than American pudding, thanks to cornstarch in addition to egg yolks, budino has seen a surge in popularity in the U.S. Perhaps that's due to its comforting richness and elegant flavoring.

In this recipe for salted caramel budino, maple syrup and brown sugar create a deep roasted sugar flavor, and the powers of cornstarch and egg yolks combine for extra thickness. Cornstarch and eggs are a thickening superpower, but using cornstarch requires special attention to cooking time. Cornstarch's thickening properties take effect once it reaches a certain temperature, so be sure to stir until the whisk leaves streaks in the pudding. Your nose will be able to pick up when the custard is done, as well. It will smell sweet and delicious.

Budinos are often served with a cookie crust or crumble, and topped with homemade caramel or ever-so-lightly-sweetened whipped cream. Consider baking them in glass jars for a dynamic visual.

Suspiro de Limeña translates to "sigh of the lady from Lima" and is a caramel Peruvian dessert sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. Consisting of a custard of condensed and evaporated milks, egg yolks, and topped with fluffy meringue, the name was coined by Peruvian writer José Gálvez Barrenechea after describing its texture as "a soft and sweet sigh of a woman." It most likely takes inspiration from manjar blanco, which in the Americas is akin to dulce de leche.

The dessert consists of two layers, a manjar blanco base of condensed and evaporated milk and egg yolk and a layer of meringue on top. The first step is to cook the condensed and evaporated milks until they caramelize, and then make a custard by tempering in the egg yolks. The leftover egg whites are whipped up into a meringue, along with a sweet wine for an extra kick. This dessert is quite sweet, but pairing it with a tea or glass of pisco, the Peruvian grape-based spirit, can cut through the sweetness. 

Quindim are custard cakes made of egg yolks, sugar, and coconut flakes and baked in molds, and originate from Northeast Brazil, where they developed with a confluence of West African and Portuguese influence. Meanwhile, the method itself seems to descend from the Portuguese brisas do lis, which calls for almonds. The chefs in the kitchen of Brazilian homes during Portuguese colonization were often enslaved Africans, who named the dessert quindim, a Bantu word for "the typical gestures, behavior, and humor of adolescent girls." Egg-based desserts were common in Portugal, where the origins of quindim were made with almonds. Instead of the almonds found in Portugal, the African cooks substituted coconut, which was abundant. 

The ingredients are blended together over a bain marie, poured into a container (try mini muffin tins for small quindim, or you can go as big as a full-size flan), and then baked with a water bath in the oven, like a cheesecake. As it bakes, the coconut floats to the top so that when flipped over, you have a crispy bottom and an almost-gooey center. It's important to remove the custard when it's warm (too hot and it could break, too cold and it might stick to the mold). It is now one of the most popular desserts in the country and can top off a dinner at a churrasqueria.

You might have seen contestants win judges over with a Bakewell tart on the Great British Baking Show. In this classic English dessert, an almond and egg custard (often referred to as a frangipane) is baked on top of a layer of jam in a pastry shell. The frangipane is similar to the filling in almond croissants and can be achieved by mixing eggs with almond meal and almond extract.

Originating from the town of Bakewell in Derbyshire, where there is even a building called "The Original Bakewell Pudding Shop," the tart was purportedly made by accident. Older versions before the 19th century were heavier on the custard filling, and through the ages the crust became more prominent, turning what was essentially a pudding into a more classical tart.

Nowadays, the shortcrust pastry is important in providing a crisp and firm base for the filling and jam. (Shortcrust pastry has a flour-to-fat ratio of 2-to-1, as opposed to American pie doughs that are closer to a 1-to-1 ratio). To prevent any spillage, par-baking is recommended for a Bakewell tart, so that the crust bakes enough to hold up the jam and frangipane. No soggy bottoms here!

Steamed egg custard can be made savory (and is often served as a side dish), but with the addition of sugar, it makes for a simple and silky smooth dessert popular in Hong Kong, where a saying goes that it's good for the skin. Steamed milk egg pudding can trace its roots to British pudding and the Spanish creme caramel, which traveled to China in the "Age of the Sail".

Like the savory version of the dish, where the water to egg ratio is essential in achieving the silky consistency, so is the milk/sugar ratio. It's all about balance. To achieve the ultimate silky texture, heat sugar and water in a saucepan until sugar has dissolved, then add the milk. Pre-beat the eggs, temper them, and strain the mixture into molds or bowls for maximum smoothness. Place them in a steamer pot and they'll be done much quicker than custards baked in the oven. The puddings can be served hot or cold and topped with boba, fruit, or a sauce of your choice.