There are a number of dates throughout the year promoting variations of local, national or international Chocolate Day – as if we needed an excuse to indulge our sugar cravings! UK Chocolate Week is every October and there is even World Chocolate Day which took place on September 4th. Take a look at our guide to enjoying some of the best desserts, sweets and cakes in three of Thomas Cook’s most popular European destinations.
Turkey
Last minute Turkey holidays are perfect for those of you with a sweet tooth. Turkish delight is probably the best-known sugary snack from the Middle East. These small, fragrant cubes of jelly are usually flavoured with rosewater, orange flower water or citrus fruit juice and heavily dusted with icing sugar. Turkish delight is served alongside coffee or tea in Middle Eastern households. Cinnamon or peppermint flavoured oils are sometimes used as an alternative to rosewater.
Baklava is by far Turkey’s favourite dessert. Eggs, olives, pistachio, and lemons are some of the ingredients used in this sweet treat. The final product is a delicious syrupy pastry snack. Aside from white-sandy beaches, breathtaking cliff-bound bays and lively nightlife, holidays to Dalaman offer some of the best baklava in the country.
Malta
Holidays in Malta have always been popular, due to the island’s many sunny days, expansive beaches and vibrant nightlife. It’s also a melting pot of cultures. With North African and Arabic influences from the south, Sicilian from the north, and Greek from the west, this diversity is reflected in its cuisine. Kannoli is perhaps the most famous Italian-influenced Maltese sweet. This very popular confectionery is shaped like a cylinder and stuffed with pieces of chocolate and fruit preserves. Figoll, delicious golden-brown biscuits stuffed with ground almonds, are also a local favourite.
Tunisia
Cheap holidays in Tunisia are very popular and with good reason; behind excellent beaches and low-rise hotels lies a country of great variety – green mountains, rivers, lakes and amazing weather. Tunisian desserts reflect this variety too. The most common is a simple plate of light, sweet and delicious seasonal fruit to cleanse the palate. There are also a multitude of honey, nut and pastry shaped sweets. Makroudh is a North African favourite; it is made with honey and has a date filling on the inside. Powdered sugar doughnuts topped with pistachios are also popular here.
