The Procrastinator's Guide to Holiday Cooking Around the World
Winter is a great time to embrace “productive procrastination.” If you'd rather spend time in the kitchen than tackling unending homework, tiring studying, or tidying your room, these festive dishes from around the world are the perfect excuse. Not only will you have something delicious to show for it, but you'll also get a taste of how different cultures celebrate the holidays.
First, we go to North America, which holds about 31 percent of the world's GDP! First, a Fall and Winter Classic, Pumpkin Pie, which is eaten in over 50 Million Households on just Thanksgiving itself!
Pumpkin pie is known for its creamy filling flavoured with cinnamon, nutmeg, and other warm spices. It's a must-have at Thanksgiving and often graces Lovely dessert tables, showing the cozy flavours of fall and winter.
P1: Pumpkin Pie
Source: [Sally’s Baking Addiction - Pumpkin Pie Recipe]
Ingredients:
- 1 pre-made pie crust
- 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp ginger
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Whisk all ingredients until Incorporated.
- Pour the filling into the pie crust.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until set. Cool and serve.
Pumpkin pie is a great excuse to take a break from studying. With a 60-minute bake time, you can say, 'I need to watch the oven,' and no one will argue. Plus, the fantastic smell will distract everyone from the fact that you haven't cleaned your room.
Next, we move over to South America, home to the Amazon Rainforest. There, a popular dish is Pan de Pascua, a spiced fruitcake traditionally enjoyed during Christmas in Chile. It's filled with dried fruits and nuts and is flavoured with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. It has become a cherished part of Chilean Christmas celebrations.
P2: Pan De Pascua
Source: [Chile Traditions - Pan de Pascua Recipe]
Ingredients:
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp cloves
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup dried fruits
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Cream butter and sugar. Mix in eggs.
- Add dry ingredients, alternating with milk. Stir in dried fruits.
- Pour into a greased pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes.
This fruitcake takes enough time to mix, bake, and cool,to easily dodge that history project. Just tell your family you're 'embracing Chilean holiday traditions'—they'll never ask about your incomplete notes on the Battle of Maipu.
Now we go over to Europe, where more than 200 Languages are spoken! In Europe, specifically Germany, Stollen is a very popular dish. Stollen is a festive German bread packed with dried fruits, nuts, and, sometimes, marzipan. It's dusted with powdered sugar to resemble snow, making it a quintessential winter treat. This bread dates back to the 1400s and remains a symbol of holiday indulgence.
P3: Stollen
Source: [King Arthur Baking - Stollen Recipe]
Ingredients:
- 4 cups flour
- 1 packet of active dry yeast
- ½ cup warm milk
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup melted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 cup dried fruits
- ½ cup chopped nuts
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions:
- Dissolve yeast in warm milk and let it foam.
- Mix flour, sugar, butter, egg, and yeast. Knead until smooth.
- Fold in dried fruits and nuts. Let dough rise for one hour.
- Shape into a loaf and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 40 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar.
With all the kneading, rising, and baking, Stollen also provides hours of excellent excuses to avoid your math homework. And once it's done, everyone will be so impressed, though not with your math.
Next, we go to the other side of the globe, Africa! Africa covers around 20 percent of the world's land area! In South Africa, a loved dessert is Malva Pudding. Malva pudding is a rich and moist dessert, made with apricot jam and a buttery glaze. Served warm, it's a favourite at Christmas feasts and family gatherings. Its spongy texture and sweet flavour make it the ultimate comfort food.
P4: Malva Pudding
Source: [Simply Delicious - Malva Pudding Recipe]
Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp apricot jam
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tsp baking soda
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Mix flour, sugar, and jam. Stir in milk, egg, vinegar, and baking soda.
- Pour batter into a greased pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown.
Malva pudding is the perfect way to break from that online science project. Watching the glaze soak into the warm pudding is far more satisfying than staring at a screen full of virtual lab simulations. Bonus: It's so delicious that your classmates might Ignore your unfinished hypothesis.
From there, we travel to the most populated continent, Asia, with about 60 percent of the world's population! There, a popular food is Mooncakes from China.
Mooncakes are delicate pastries traditionally enjoyed during China's Mid-Autumn Festival. Filled with lotus seed paste or red bean, they feature intricate designs on their tops. While not explicitly tied to winter holidays, they're perfect for festive occasions and celebrations.
P5: Mooncakes
Source: [China Sichuan Food - Mooncake Recipe]
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup sugar syrup
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup lotus seed paste
Instructions:
- Mix flour, sugar syrup, and oil to form a dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll dough into small circles. Fill it with lotus seed paste and shape it using moulds.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20 minutes.
Making mooncakes is a detailed process that lets you focus on rolling, filling, and shaping dough instead of that paragraph you were supposed to write last Tuesday. The intricate designs are an artistic accomplishment.
Now we move to Australia and New Zealand. The two countries host much wildlife, situated in the Tasman Sea. A popular dish is Pavlova, a light and airy meringue dessert topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit. Named after Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, it's a favourite during Christmas in Australia and New Zealand, where the holidays fall during summer.
P6: Pavlova
Source: Pavlova Recipe
Ingredients:
- 4 egg whites
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Whipped cream and fresh fruit for topping
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C).
- Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Slowly add sugar, vinegar, and vanilla.
- Spread onto parchment paper and bake for one hour. Cool and decorate with cream and fruit.
Making Pavlova look fancy enough can convince anyone you've been productive, and decorating it with fruit? That's basically art class. Finals can wait—your masterpiece is calling.
Finally, we go to Antarctica. Since there are no ethnic Antarticans other than researchers, we used a cake called Snow Cake, inspired by the lack of resources and the climate. Snow Cake is a simple, light dessert inspired by the creativity of Antarctic researchers and explorers who celebrated holidays. Topped with powdered sugar to mimic the icy, snowy surroundings, it's a festive reminder that even in the harshest conditions, there's always room for a sweet treat.
P7: Snow Cake
Source: Internet
Why no Specific Sources? Antarctica doesn't have traditional holiday dishes due to its lack of an indigenous population and the challenging environment. However, historical expeditions brought their festive recipes. That is also the reason why there is no picture.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a baking pan. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
- Add butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool and dust with powdered sugar to create a snowy effect.
Snow Cake is perfect when you need a break from staring at your screen during online school. Mixing, baking, and dusting it with powdered sugar gives you the perfect excuse to avoid another AC call. Bonus: It's simple enough to make you feel productive, even if your project isn't going anywhere!
Who says you can't have festive vibes at the bottom of the world? Snow Cake proves that even with limited ingredients and freezing temperatures in Antarctica, you can whip up a holiday treat that looks like the snow made it. Plus, let's be honest—if explorers could make this while battling the harshest conditions, you can manage it while avoiding that one assignment you've been "meaning to start." Procrastination never tasted so sweet!
All kidding aside, Snow Cake is more than just a fun excuse to procrastinate—it's a testament to creativity and resourcefulness. If explorers could find a way to bring a touch of holiday cheer to the harshest environment on Earth, maybe you can find some joy (and focus) in whatever challenges you're facing. And who's complaining about whether a little powdered sugar helps get you there?
Wait….You thought we were done? Have you forgotten about your fellow OHSers? Now that we have gone through the continents let's see what our OHSers are doing!
One of the dishes people liked was Tiramisu, which is known for its rich coffee taste and its classic look.
Tiramisu
Photo Credit: Andrea Seale
Tiramisu is a classic Italian dessert, translating to "pick me up" or "cheer me up" in Italian, and rightly so. This no-bake dessert consists of ladyfingers dipped in espresso and sometimes a splash of liqueur, layered with a rich, creamy filling consisting of mascarpone cheese, eggs, and sugar.
It's completed with a dust of cocoa powder to give it a bittersweet end taste. The perfect balance of sweetness and creaminess combined, Tiramisu is a great combination that shows precisely how coffee complements dessert, so it is fitting for the festive atmosphere of any celebration and a luxurious finish to any meal.
Next, we go to Norway and Sweden, where Rosettes originated. They are known for their crispiness and their lacy pattern.
Rosettes
Photo Credit: Beatrice Pook
Rosettes are crispy pastries usually made by dipping a specially designed iron mould into a light batter and then frying it until golden brown. These intricate, snowflake-like treats are a popular holiday dessert in many Scandinavian and European traditions. Usually dusted with powdered sugar or sprinkled with cinnamon, rosettes are as beautiful as they are delicious. Their crisp texture and subtly sweet flavour make them a festive favourite, perfect for special occasions or just showing off your frying skills.
Finally, we have Dressing (or Stuffing), a mixture of starch (usually bread) and herbs.
Dressing
Photo Credit: Internet via Summer Laster
The dressing is that warming, savoury side dish that everyone looks forward to during the holidays. Made from bread cubes, herbs, and a mix of veggies and broth, it's a fantastic comfort food in casserole form. Unlike stuffing, it's baked independently, so it gets those crispy edges that everyone loves. Whether you add sausage and cranberries or stick to the classic recipe, dressing is the dish that makes you want to get a second helping—even before the main course. It's warm, flavorful, and so cozy!
These holiday recipes remind us of the sheer number of dishes from around the world, including our OHSers. Whether perfecting a classic or trying something new, there's a particular joy in stepping away from the hustle and embracing the comfort of cooking. Even though the holidays have passed, the warmth and creativity of the kitchen can carry that festive magic into the new year—one recipe at a time.
References:
B1 - Pumpkin Fun Facts. (n.d.). Commissary Click 2GO. Retrieved February 4, 2025, from https://corp.commissaries.com/our-agency/newsroom/news-releases/pumpkin-fun-facts#:~:text=How%20many%20pumpkin%20pies%20are,baked%20and%20eaten%20each%20year.
P-7 - (n.d.). Cornbread Oyster stuffing for Thanksgiving Day. Vecteezy. https://www.vecteezy.com/photo/23712413-cornbread-oyster-stuffing-for-thanksgiving-day-illustr ation-ai-generative
P1 - (n.d.). Classic Pumpkin Pie. Epicurius. Retrieved January 11, 2025, from https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pumpkin-pie
P2 - Redirect notice. (n.d.). https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.readyseteat.com%2Frecipes-Chi lean-Fruitcake-Pan-de-Pascua-10136&psig=AOvVaw3uEGYy_cFf-6tsuJVAy1rC&ust=1736705 692039000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQ3YkBahcKEwj4-_yMqO6K AxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQBA
P3 - Killebrew, K. (2024, September 30). Authentic stollen (German Christmas bread). The Daring Gourmet. https://www.daringgourmet.com/stollen-german-christmas-bread/
P4 - Redirect notice. (n.d.-b). https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.westoftheloop.com%2F2018%2 F04%2F26%2Finstant-pot-malva-pudding-cakes%2F&psig=AOvVaw0Xp26wlYkO8Ud42Ng4r X_O&ust=1736707739679000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQ3YkBah cKEwi4kf3Qqu6KAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQBA
P5 - Redirect notice. (n.d.-c). https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcuratedkitchenware.com%2Fblogs%2 Fsoupeduprecipes%2Fclassic-cantonese-mooncake-recipe&psig=AOvVaw3ATDdwtKH9CW0c