The best down-under desserts

You wouldn’t think you’d have to travel to the other side of the world for a good dessert. But you do. These typically Australian desserts are well worth the journey.

Sweet tooths, pay attention. A whole world is opening up before you. The Aussies have an entire repertoire of memorably delicious desserts. Pavlova, lamingtons, Tim Tams. Suddenly, the Dutch bowl of vanilla custard looks rather meagre by comparison.

Prefer to stay closer to home? These are our favourite restaurants in Rotterdam.

Ballerina dessert
Pavlova has conquered the world. Yet it originated in Australia, where a Russian ballerina toured in the 1920s. She was probably very fond of this dessert, as it was named after her. The giant meringue with whipped cream and fruit looks like a spectacular centrepiece, but it doesn’t feel that way. It is light and airy, making it the perfect finale to a lavish meal. That’s not to say pavlova tastes any less delicious after a bowl of soup. Even on an empty stomach, this is a divine dessert. Top it with anything you like. Strawberries, pomegranate seeds, caramel sauce, nuts, you name it.

Lamingtons
In the world-conquerors category… lamingtons: small sponge cakes coated in chocolate and coconut. If you get a good one, that coating is more like a mantle—a thick layer of chocolate that melts on your tongue. Less well-known than pavlova, but steadily gaining popularity. Haven’t come across them yet? Make them at home.

Jelly Slice
Less well-known is the jelly slice. Are you thinking: “jelly – wobbly – chemical – yuck yuck”? Hold on. Jelly Slice consists of three layers: jelly, custard and biscuit. With fresh fruit on top (preferably matching the colour of the jelly: strawberries on the red, mango on the yellow and kiwi on the green.) This is an absolute work of art, not just some cheap wobbly dessert.

Biscuits
Into Oreos? Then you’ll undoubtedly find the Vovo amazing. This butter biscuit is a must with tea. Every Australian grandmother has her own recipe. When it comes to biscuits, Tim Tams are also a hit. And then there are Anzac biscuits. Biscuits, mind you—it is illegal to call them cookies. There is a fixed recipe, and only biscuits baked according to that recipe may bear the name Anzac. The ingredients that must be included are oats, golden syrup and butter. Oh yeah.

Multicultural desserts
In multicultural Australia, the desserts are influenced by all corners of the world too. The caramel slice, a kind of millionaire’s shortbread, is said to have Irish roots. Unlike pavlova, this dessert lands like a bomb, but don’t let that put you off. The thick layer of caramel sandwiched between buttery biscuit and chocolate is worth a little stomach ache. Lighter are the chocolate crackles, made with American Kellogg’s puffed rice, cocoa, coconut oil and sugar. Pop them in the fridge for a while and they’re ready. Of course, that’s far from all. Down under, there are hundreds of thousands more desserts that can take on our vanilla custard. Really, there’s only one thing for it: a ticket to Australia.