Bloemkoolgratin

We're still in the clutches of winter, and the need for comfort food is high. I am starting to get the garden ready, doing an initial and careful cleanup from last season's growth, careful not to bother any sleeping bees, bugs, or other beneficial critters. After spending a couple of hours outside (there is always something to do!) I long to come inside where it's warm and cozy. There is something special about that tingle in your hands and cheeks, when the skin is adjusting to different temperatures! 

One of the dishes that often appears on the table during this time is vegetable gratins, like today's dish. Sometimes they're made from scratch, but most often they are made with the potatoes, meat, and vegetables that were left over from the day before. Being wasteful with food is not in our DNA, and making new dishes out of leftovers, is practically an unclaimed national sport!  

Boiled, braised, or steamed vegetables are arranged in an oven dish, sometimes over slices of boiled potato, sometimes with browned ground beef or mushrooms for a vegetarian option, and covered with a coat of breadcrumbs and butter. If the food is already heated up, like today's, it only takes about ten to fifteen minutes to get the gratin crispy and golden, just time enough to set the table. If everything is cold, it may take up to 30 minutes. In that case you may want to cover the gratin for the last ten minutes so that it doesn't burn. 

Bloemkoolgratin

2 lbs (1 kg) cauliflower, rinsed and broken into florets

5 cups (1.20 l) water

1 teaspoon salt

For the sauce

4 tablespoons (50 grams) butter

1/3 cup (50 grams) flour*

2 cups (500 ml) milk or cooking liquid

1 cup (113 grams) cheese**, shredded

Salt, white pepper, nutmeg

For the gratin

1/2 cup (approx. 25-50 grams) breadcrumbs or Panko. 

4 tablespoons (55 grams) butter, divided

Bring the water to a boil, salt, and add the cauliflower. Boil at medium heat for about fifteen minutes, then check to see if the texture is to your liking: the longer you cook it, the softer it gets.

When it's the right texture, drain the cauliflower, but save the water, and measure out two cups (500 ml). (Don't discard the rest of the cooking water if you are planning on making soup with the leftovers). Put the empty cooking pot back on the stove, and in it, melt the butter (do not brown) for the sauce. With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour until the two have come together as a paste, and slowly add the two cups of milk or cooking liquid, while stirring. Keep stirring until the lumps are gone and the sauce has thickened and is hot. Fold in half of the cheese. Bring up to taste with salt and pepper and if desired, a pinch of nutmeg. 

Add the cauliflower back into the pot with the sauce, stir once or twice so that the vegetable is covered with the sauce. 

Heat the oven to 375F/190C. Butter a baking dish (8 x 11 inches/20 x 28 cm) with a little bit of the butter for the gratin, and pour in the hot cauliflower. Give the baking dish one or two shakes so that the contents distribute evenly over the dish. Mix the breadcrumbs with the rest of the cheese, and sprinkle it over the cauliflower. Cut the rest of the butter in small pats or strips and place them strategically on the breadcrumbs. Set the baking dish on the middle rack of the hot oven, and bake for ten to twelve minutes, or until the butter has melted and the breadcrumbs are golden. If you want, you can finish the dish under the broiler during the last minute or so - the melted butter will brown the breadcrumbs nicely - but do not walk away as it will burn quickly. 

Serve with boiled potatoes and gehaktballen, meatballs, or braadworst, bratwurst. A side of appelmoes, applesauce, is also tasty. This dish lends itself perfectly for a typical Dutch practice: prakken. :-)

*If you would rather not use flour, use cornstarch to make a slurry and bind the sauce.

** Use a sharp cheese, like mature cheddar, Gouda or pepperjack cheese. 

Speculaaskruiden

Speculaaskruiden, speculaas spice mix, are a traditional Dutch spice mix used to make our famous speculaas cookies, a traditional treat during the year with a cup of coffee or tea, or as a bread topping (don't judge! LOL). Speculaaskruiden are also widely used during the winter months, especially around Sinterklaas celebrations and the holiday season for other types of bakes. 

Its warm and aromatic blend reflects centuries of Dutch culinary tradition and trade history. The origins of speculaaskruiden are a product of the spice trade that flourished in the Netherlands during the Golden Age (17th century). Dutch merchants through the Dutch East India Company (VOC), brought spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger from Asia. These exotic spices became integral to Dutch baking, particularly for festive treats as they are fairly expensive, either on their own, or combined in a speculaaskruidenmix.  

Speculaaskruiden are a blend of warming spices, with recipes varying slightly depending on personal preferences. The basic composition includes: cinnamon (the dominant flavor), cloves, nutmeg, mace, ginger, and sometimes cardamom and/or white pepper. Cinnamon constitutes the largest portion, giving the mix its characteristic sweet warmth. Some will use anise or coriander. 

While speculaaskruiden are best known for their role in speculaas bakes, such as gevulde speculaas, and speculaascake, it is versatile enough to also be used in other dishes and treats. Try a pinch of it in your coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, in oatmeal, in pancakes, or mixed in with butter for a sweet, buttery spread on your breakfast toast. You can also add a pinch to beef stews, meat pies, or roasted vegetables, such as butternut squash. 

Here’s a simple recipe for making your own speculaaskruiden blend at home. The proportions can be adjusted to suit your taste, but this version offers a balanced, traditional flavor. Having said that, everybody has a different preference. You may want to make a small quantity first (maybe 1 Tbsp cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon cloves, nutmeg, mace, and ginger, and 1/8 tsp cardamom and white pepper), and use it in a cookie recipe to see if you like the taste. It's easier to adjust and get exactly the taste you want. 

Can't be bothered or don't have the time? Amazon also sells speculaaskruiden, but we haven't tested them to see if the flavor gets close. When in a pinch, you could also use pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice. Read the ingredients list on each and adjust accordingly.

Homemade Speculaaskruiden Recipe

4 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp ground cloves
1 Tbsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground mace
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground white pepper (optional, for a mild kick)

Measure out all the spices into a small mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly to combine, ensuring there are no clumps. Store the blend in an airtight jar or container in a cool, dry place. It will keep its potency for up to 6 months.

Photo by Wouter Supardi Salari on Unsplash

Appelepap

Every now and then, I get down these rabbit trails that lead me to new and amazing discoveries. Today was one of those days, and I found not one, but two gems! Lately, I've been scouring books and magazines for additional apple recipes. My trees really put out a great crop this year, and I hate seeing food to go waste. 

While I was browsing the online inventory of the DBNL, the Digital Library for Dutch Literature, I ended up stumbling across a book called "Karel Knal en de wonderschoenen" from 1943, written by C.H. Geudeker and Herman Looman, and delicously illustrated by Uschi.  I got lost a little bit in the story about this young man, Carl, who wants to become an athlete while donning an interesting choice of footwear. In the story, he tells his coach that he wants to participate in every single race, to which his coach responds: "Je hebt bovendien nog nooit een 100 meter gelopen en een race over 10 kilometer evenmin. Ik kan je verzekeren, dat het geen van beide appelepap is!" ("Moreover, you have never run a 100 meters nor a 10 kilometer race. I can assure you that neither of them is apple porridge!")

Hold on a second! Appelepap? Apple porridge? What is this appelepap? I did some more digging, so let me tell you. Appelepap is/are two things: one, it's an expression used to describe something that is easy to do. Secondly, and far more interesting for all of us, it's an old-fashioned traditional Dutch dish, specifically from the province of Gelderland, eaten either as a hearty breakfast, or a dessert. Who knew? It appears to have been, or may still be, particularly popular in rural areas, where simple, hearty dishes were commonly made from ingredients readily available, like apples and dairy.

This particular version is made with apples, buttermilk, and a pinch of cinnamon, which creates a tasty combination of sweet and (slightly) sour - delicious! There are other versions that use milk (or you could use a nut milk), a handful of raisins, and flavored with a dusting of ground anise. I tried several combinations and, although a fan of anise, I liked the apple-buttermilk-cinnamon one the best. If you don't like or can eat apples, try it with pears (perepap) or cherries (kersepap). If you don't have buttermilk, make your own with one cup of regular milk and a tablespoon of vinegar: just stir and let it sit for five minutes until it starts to coagulate. And if you don't have fresh apples, just use canned apple sauce - it's all good! 

Appelepap

2 medium size apples (about 400 grams), peeled and cored

4 cups (1 liter) buttermilk

3/4 cup (100 gram) flour

1 Tablespoon sugar/honey/sugar substitute (optional)

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dice the apples, set two tablespoons of chopped apple aside, and add the rest to a saucepan with a little water. Bring up to a boil and cook into a chunky applesauce. In the meantime, mix the flour and the buttermilk together until there are no lumps. Stir in the buttermilk mixture with the warm applesauce in the pan and continue to stir, bringing it to a simmer. Don't let the buttermilk boil as it will curdle, so just keep stirring on low to medium heat for a good five minutes, or until the flour has thickened the porridge. When it's hot, take it off the stove and divide the porridge over four bowls. Split the remaining chopped apple over the porridge, and dust a little cinnamon over each bowl. Eat warm or cold. 

Drie-in-de-pan (met appel en rozijnen)

Drie-in-de-pan, three-in-the-pan, is a traditional Dutch dessert dish but to my shame I have to admit that I don't remember ever eating it. At first glance, they just looked like small pancakes, so in my overly practical mind I figured if I was making pancakes, I might as well make the big, cartwheel ones, and not mess around with making three little ones. Am I alone in this? 

Last night, looking through my cookbooks for apple recipes, I came across them again, tucked in between pannekoeken and wentelteefjes. It wasn't necessarily the recipe itself that drew me in, but a handwritten comment scribbled in the sideline by a former owner that said: "platte oliebol". Wait, what? Flat oliebol? Now you have my attention! I looked at the recipe again, and realized that the commenter was right: the batter had all the ingredients for oliebollen: flour, yeast, milk, and eggs. Well, fair enough, so do many other foods - so I decided to find out. 

Of course, I can't just follow instructions so I added chopped apple, raisins, and cinnamon to the recipe, but I think I'm sold. Although they are not as fluffy as oliebollen are on the inside, they are also much less greasy, which I guess is a good thing. 

These pancakes are thicker and heartier than regular Dutch pancakes and have a crispy exterior with a soft, fluffy inside. Drie-in-de-pan, so called because you make three at a time in the same pan, can be enjoyed as a sweet treat, usually served with powdered sugar, syrup, or even jam, but it can also be made with savory fillings (think ham and cheese, or bacon and cheese, or roasted vegetables, for example) for a hearty lunch or brunch. 

Now...don't get hung up on the number 3. If your pan is bigger and you can fit five, go for it. Call it Vijf-in-de-pan! Don't like apples and/or raisins? Try bananas instead, or just leave the fruit out altogether. There's no judgment here, just adjust the recipe to your liking. And if you don't eat them all, they freeze well and can be heated in the toaster. 

For portioning out the batter, I use an ice cream scoop about 2.5 inches (about 6 cm-ish) across that holds approx. 80 ml or 1/3 cup. I don't peel the apple because I like the red skin to shine through, but feel free to peel if you prefer. 

Makes approx. 8-9 little pancakes.

Drie-in-de-pan

1 3/4 cup (250 grams) flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp (5 grams) active dry yeast

1 cup (250 ml) milk, warm 

Pinch of cinnamon

1 Tablespoon sugar, optional

2 eggs

1/2 cup (50 grams) raisins

1 medium (5 oz/150 grams) apple

Butter for frying

Powdered sugar for dusting, optional

Mix the flour, salt, yeast, milk, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add sugar if using. Stir in the eggs and the raisins. Core the apple and chop into small pieces, and stir it into the batter, then cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes so that the yeast can do its work. 

Heat the butter in the pan and scoop the batter in equal amounts into the pan. Fry one side for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until it's golden brown, then flip over with a spatula and fry the other side. Keep them warm on a side plate under a towel or pan lid while you fry the others. 

Dust with powdered sugar just before serving (optional), and eat warm. These are also great topped with jam. 

 

Brusselse Appeltjes

It's apple season! I've already been dehydrating apple slices, and have just about finished canning my yearly stash of appelmoes. I've also baked and frozen 5 Dutch appeltaarten, made an apple cake, and took appelflappen over to my sweet neighbors.  To say I'm about "appled" out, is not an exaggeration, but I know better than to complain. This winter, when I add a heaping spoon of appelmoes to my dinner plate, or enjoy a slice of apple pie with my Sunday coffee, I will be grateful and happy that I did the work. 

Nevertheless, when a freak rain storm last night knocked more apples off the tree, I slightly despaired. Now what? Time is in short demand during the week, but these apples needed something doing with. I dug through my old cookbooks and my eye fell on a recipe name I had not seen before: Brusselse Appeltjes, apples from Brussels, or made the Brussels way.  

Now, I know Brusselse wafels, and I know Brussels sprouts (spruitjes) and Brussels lof (witlof), but Brussels apples were new to me. After digging around the internet (and going down a myriad of rabbit holes, goodbye time!) I found out that the recipe has been around in the Netherlands since approximately around the middle of last century, but that it does not have a Belgian origin, or is even known in Brussels or surroundings. 

Never mind, let's try it out! Brusselse appeltjes are fresh apples, cored and filled with jam, and baked under a blanket of choux pastry....what's not to like? And the good thing is that, since it's not a traditional recipe in that sense, you can experiment all you want. Don't like jam? Fill the apples with boerenjongens, or a walnut/brown sugar/cinnamon filling, or go for almond paste. You can then rename the dish and replace Brusselse with your own name and make it a new family favorite! 

Not particularly fond of choux pastry, or can't be bothered to make it? Then try your hand at these custard covered apples, appeltjes onder de deken, instead. 

For this recipe, I chose not to peel the apples, but that's because I wasn't sure if these apples were good for baking and I didn't dare go back on the internet to check. I believe they're Winesap (the squirrels took off with the tag, so it's a bit of a guess) but Braeburns, Jonathan, Fuji, Gala, and Granny Smith are all baking apples and can do with peeling, if you're not fond of peels.

Brusselse Appeltjes 

4 medium size baking apples

2 Tablespoons lemon juice (optional, if peeling the apples)

2 Tablespoons jam* (strawberry, cherry, apricot...you pick)

4 Tablespoons (50 grams) butter and a bit more for greasing the pan 

1/2 cup (120 ml) milk or water

1/2 heaping cup (60 grams) powdered sugar

Pinch of salt, if butter is unsalted

1/3 cup (50 grams) all-purpose flour

2 medium eggs

Optional: 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar and a pinch of cinnamon to dust the dish with right before serving

Peel the apples and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning, or leave unpeeled. Core. Butter the

oven dish. Place apples in the dish and divide the jam* over the four holes.

Heat the oven to 400F/200C.

To a saucepan, add the butter, milk or water, the sugar and the salt if using. Bring to a simmer, and stir until the butter is melted. Lower the heat, dump all the flour in at once, and stir until it becomes a ball of flour that lets go of the sides of the pan. Take the pan off the heat, and stir in one egg, until it's absorbed into the dough. Add the second egg, keep stirring until it all comes together. 

Pour the dough over the apples, and place the dish in the oven. Depending on how shallow your dish is, you may want to place it on a baking sheet in case something bubbles over. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, then check to see if the dough is golden. If yes, remove from the oven. If not, give it a few more minutes. 

Sprinkle powdered sugar with a pinch of cinnamon over the top. Serve warm. Great with a scoop of ice cream! 

*if you don't have or like jam, try boerenjongens, or a mixture of walnuts/brown sugar/cinnamon, or almond paste.

Rozijnenbroodschoteltje met appel

Several weeks ago, I made a batch of raisin bread, rozijnenbrood, to enjoy, give away, and store for later use. Raisins and currants have the tendency to absorb moisture from the bread, so after a few days the bread tends to get a little dry. Fortunately, it toasts well, and there is a certain bliss in having a warm, toasted slice of raisin or currant bread, with a little bit of "good" butter, spread across the top, and if so desired, a slice or two of aged cheese. There is little less that comforts the soul on a blistery, cold day like today! 

There are also other ways of using up old bread, like in today's dish: a bread pudding, or broodschoteltje (bread dish), made with raisin bread, apple, eggs, milk and sugar. In my search of traditional recipes, I frequently come across dishes that use up "restjes", leftovers, from the previous day. Any meat left from the Sunday dinner will be served as a cold cut, in a huzarensalade, or turned into croquettes the next day. Vegetables are repurposed into salads or soups, and bread is turned into wentelteefjes (French toast) or broodschoteltjes. From having lived in other countries and among other cultures, I know that this is not unique to the Dutch, but I do think that we take a particular pride in being thrifty, or zuinig. 

And we have plenty of sayings to support being thrifty: in Limburg they say "dae twieë zwegelkes noeëdig heet um zien piêp aan te staeke, weurtj noeëts riêk" (he who needs two matches to light his pipe, will never be rich), in de Achterhoek it's said that "dunne plekskes sniën, is ' t behold van de wörste" (cutting thin slices preserves the sausages), and in Zeeland, "oans bin zunig" (we are thrifty). This last one even inspired various margarine commercials in the 80s.

Well, I'm not from Zeeland, but I do like to be zuinig or deliberate in my spending, so this morning I am using up the rest of the rozijnenbrood to make a bread pudding. If you don't have rozijnenbrood, just use regular old bread and add a handful of raisins. Don't have an apple? See if you can scrounge up a pear, or use dried fruits like apricots. Even dollops of the last of the strawberry jam will make a great addition: just have fun with it! As they say in de Achterhoek: "Wa’j ow spaort veur de mond, is vake veur de katte of de hond" - what you save for your mouth, often ends up being for the cat or the dog. A great encouragement to look through the cupboards and fridge to see what can get used up, in true Dutch fashion.

Rozijnenbroodschoteltje met appel

8 thick slices raisin or regular bread (about 500 grams)

1 apple, cored and cubed

1 tablespoon (15 grams) butter

2 cups (500 ml) milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1/3 cup (65 grams) sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Pinch of salt

Cut the bread into cubes and mix with the apple. Butter a casserole and add the bread and apple. In a bowl, add the milk and the eggs and beat them until all of the egg has been incorporated. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Heat the oven to 350F/175C. In the meantime, on medium heat on the stove, warm up the milk and stir until it starts to thicken a little bit, about eight to ten minutes. Do not let the milk get to a boil, as the egg will curdle.

Pour the hot milk over the bread and apple mix. If you want a bread pudding with a crispy top, do not mix, otherwise give it a stir or two so that all the bread is covered. When the oven is up to temp, place the casserole on the middle rack, and bake it for 40-45 minutes or until golden.

Serve hot. I like to add a pat of butter or a splash of heavy cream, but it doesn't need it (then again, neither do I, but there you have it :-).

Gestoofde prei

This is going to sound so foreign to anybody who lives in Europe, but for the longest time I was unable to find prei, leeks, in the grocery store here in the US. Granted, I live in a rural area and am nowhere near a large city, but even when shopping in the capital of the state, I was not able to find any. It's only since a few years that they make an appearance, and at that still a spendy one: three stalks will near $4 easily. 

How different it is in the Netherlands! I am probably exaggerating a tiny bit, but just about anybody has a stalk or two of prei in their cart, sticking out of their shopping bag, or tucked underneath the snelbinders, those rubber straps on the rear rack of the bicycle. I did a quick search on the main Dutch grocery store website, and 2 stalks of leeks are 1 euro. One euro!!! Oh, the envy.... :-)

Prei features prominently in our cuisine: it's a key ingredient for many soups, casseroles, or as a main vegetable, like today's dish. They are considered a tasty vegetable that's valued for their fiber, nutritional content, and low-calorie profile. Not surprisingly then, leek agriculture in the Netherlands is a significant part of the country's vegetable trade, with the Netherlands being one of the key players in international leek trade alongside Belgium. 

The Netherlands produces between 90,000 and 100,000 tons of leeks per season, starting from late February or early March until the end of July or early August, ensuring a year-round availability that includes both summer and winter varieties. The main areas for leek growing is primarily in the North Brabant and Limburg regions, with more than half of this production destined for export. Well, I don't know where they're exporting it to, but it certainly isn't to my little corner of the world! 

One of the main reasons why I am so utterly pleased to finally have leeks within reach is because I absolutely love, love, love braised leeks. Because we grew up in Limburg, leeks were just about everywhere, and my grandma used to make these delicious leeks, braised in butter, with white wine and capers. It's such a simple dish, but so very satisfying! Leeks can also be served in a cream sauce, with béchamel, a cheese sauce, or sautéed with bacon. This is just one of the many ways. 

Makes four servings.

Gestoofde prei

3 large leek stalks

4 tablespoons (55 grams) butter

1 bay leaf

1 heaping tablespoon capers

1/2 cup (125 ml white wine)

1/2 cup (125 ml vegetable stock)

Cut the root ends off the leeks, and the darkest of the dark leaves at the top. (Don't discard them, but wash and slice them thin, and use them for soups, omelets or in casseroles). Cut the stalks into 3 inch pieces. Rinse under running water (if they're very sandy, cut in half lengthwise). Melt the butter in the pan, and add the leek stalks. Don't let them brown, but turn them over every two to three minutes until they start to soften a little bit. Add the bay leaf, capers, wine, and stock, bring to a simmer, turn down, cover with a fitting lid, and let them braise for about fifteen minutes. Check with a fork to make sure the leeks are tender and soft. Taste the sauce and see if you need to adjust the salt level. 

 

Gebakken Kaasplak

The other day, I was rummaging around in stacks of 1950's women's magazines looking for dinner ideas, as I often do. I love to see what dishes the men and women of my mom's and grandma's time prepared and ate. Sunday meals were certainly more elaborate as they appear to be nowadays, I would say, starting with a soup, then a main course (potatoes, meat and vegetables), and ending with a (dairy) dessert. Whatever was left of the meat, was frequently served the next day sliced for lunch, cold, with bread and pickles, or transformed into a new dish, often a casserole, or hot snacks like kroketten. Rice or elbow macaroni was cooked once, and a portion kept aside to turn into desserts for the next day, and vegetables that were left went into the soup, stamppots, or pan-fried until crispy. Nothing was wasted! 

On days that meat was not on the menu, I frequently saw something else in its stead: gebakken kaasplak, fried cheese slice. Recipes among the different magazines varied a little bit, so I ended up creating my own. I think it's my new favorite! 

It's a simple yet delicious dish made by breading a thick slice of cheese and frying it in butter until it's golden and crispy on the outside while remaining soft and melty inside. Pick your favorite cheese, and go for it! You can serve it as a meat substitute with dinner, as a hamburger substitute on a roll with fresh lettuce, tomato, pickles and onion, or as a snack with a dollop of mustard. 

Here in the US, cheese can be found pre-sliced, so-called deli-style. Each square is approximately 3.5 x 3.5 inches (8.5 x 8.5 cm), and weighs about 1 oz /28 grams each. Do not use floppy American cheese slices for this, but select sturdy Sharp Cheddar, Aged Gouda, or Pepper Jack slices. 

Gebakken kaasplak

8 square slices deli style sliced cheese

2 eggs

1 cup panko or breadcrumbs

4 tablespoons (55 grams) butter

Whole grain mustard

Lay out the cheese slices. Spread a teaspoon each of mustard on four slices and top each with a second slice. Beat the two eggs in a shallow dish. and pour the breadcrumbs in another shallow dish. 

Dip one of the stacked cheese slices in the egg, turn it over to coat the other side, and lift it out of the egg. Let it drip, and then coat the cheese with breadcrumbs on all six sides. Repeat with the rest of the cheese. 

Heat the butter in a frying pan. Dip the breaded cheese in the egg again, then again in the breadcrumbs and put them in the frying pan, repeating until all four cheese patties are in the pan. On medium heat, fry all sides of the cheese patties until golden brown, about five minutes. Serve warm.

Suikerbeestjes

"Er was er eens een suikerbeest" starts a sweet poem by famous Dutch author Annie M.G. Schmidt, about an animal made of sugar, a suikerbeest. "Suikerbeestjes", small sugar animals, are an old-fashioned Dutch confectionary, particularly associated with the celebration of Sinterklaas. These sweets are made in various shapes and colors, resembling small animals, and are crafted from sugar. 

Historically, suikerbeestjes were quite expensive due to the high cost of sugar, which had to be imported into the Netherlands. However, with the discovery and cultivation of sugar beets in the country, the cost of sugar and subsequently suikerbeestjes decreased significantly. Nowadays, they have lost against factory made sugary candy, and only a few professionals and home cooks will engage in the tradition. 

And it's not an easy feat either: the boiling sugar is poured into traditional wooden molds that are held together with clamps, and left to cool. As you can imagine, these sugar creatures can be quite fragile. In Schmidt's poem, the suikerbeestje's mom warns him and says "Pas dus maar op dat je niet breekt", be careful that you don't break.  

Well, I don't have the wooden molds, but I did want to make something sugary for Valentine's Day, especially since "suikerbeestje" can also be a romantic name for a lover. Valentine's Day is celebrated in the Netherlands, but it's a relatively new tradition that only gained popularity in the mid-1990s, influenced by the spread of American culture. 

I picked two types of sugary confections, both associated with Sinterklaas: suikerbeestjes and borstplaat - and decided to try both. I used a heart-shaped silicone, heat resistant mold. The suikerbeestjes turned out to be hard as a rock, which is the intention I guess, and were just too big of a lump of sugar - they would do great with a smaller silicone mold, and in the shape of an animal to honor its name. The borstplaat was softer, more tender to the palate, and was perfect for nibbling on while drinking a cup of coffee - and ultimately won out. Borstplaat can be described as similar to fudge but differs in its consistency, being flatter and more brittle. The main ingredients in borstplaat are sugar and cream. 

The sugar can be enhanced with flavoring and food coloring. Be careful when pouring the sugar as it is incredibly hot, and allow the candy to sit overnight before removing it from the molds. If you live in a humid environment, it is probably of the essence to consume these as soon as possible, as the sugar will attract moisture. Makes 6 hearts.

Suikerbeestjes

For suikerbeestjes 

1/2 cup (100 grams) white sugar

1/2 cup (50 grams) powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence or extract

3 tablespoons water

For borstplaat

1 cup (200 grams) white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence or extract
3 tablespoons milk, water or heavy cream

Optional: edible glitter or sprinkles

Place the silicone mold on a solid surface, for example, a cutting board, so that you can easily move it out of the way while the sugar sets up. If you want to  use edible glitter or sprinkles, add a pinch to the bottom of each shape. 

Use a pan with a thick bottom, and make sure that the pan is tall enough to allow for the volume to double or triple. Mix the sugars with the vanilla and the liquid in the pan, and bring to a boil on a medium hot stove.  Stir frequently, until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to stir as the sugary syrup starts to bubble up and become "woolly", displaying a white, bubbly surface (see picture). 

Stir for three or four minutes, and then dip a fork in the hot sugar. Lift the fork up. If the syrup coats the tines of the fork without dripping off, it's ready to be taken off the stove. In the photo on the right, you can still see sugar crystals so it needs a few more minutes. 

Once off the heat, stir down the sugary mixture, until all the big bubbles have gone - this will ensure a nice, solid candy. Stir in a drop or two of food coloring if you wish, and stir until you have the desired color. Carefully pour the hot sugary mess into the molds. 

The sugar will set pretty quickly on the outside, but the inside will still be scalding hot, so don't be fooled. Allow it to sit in a safe place for several hours or overnight to set up. 

Amazon Shopping Suggestions

1. Heart Shaped Silicone Mold

2. Animal Shaped Silicone Mold

3. Heart Shaped Sprinkles

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Rozijnenbrood

Breakfast is always a little bit of a feast in the Netherlands, especially on the weekends, when there is a bit more time to prepare something special. Our breakfasts are certainly not for the indecisive. Are you going to go for white soft rolls or crunchy ones? Beschuit, toast, or knäckebrot? White, brown or volkoren bread? Not to mention having to choose between the vast amount of toppings, sweet or savory, cold cuts, cheeses, eggs.....or are you skipping bread altogether and prefer a big bowl of pap, porridge? The breakfast table holds a dazzling array of choices, and is such a treasure trove of delights - worth taking time for.

The only thing I think we can all agree on is that savory comes first, and sweet comes last - but even that unwritten rule is sometimes hazy: where does a slice of bread with cheese and jam, or peanut butter and hagelslag fall? Is it all-in-one, or does it come after the savory and before the sweet? And is three slices of bread too much for our Calvinistic genes? Interesting things to ponder while enjoying a cup of coffee or tea, and another slice of something good :-)

One of the breads that always makes the breakfast table a little bit more festive and special is a pillowy loaf of raisin bread, rozijnenbrood. A sweet dough, flavored with just a hint of cinnamon, and juicy, sweet raisins all throughout the loaf. This bread is good with just a lick of butter, or topped with a slice of aged cheese. It can also be used as a base for wentelteefjes, or broodschoteltjes. 

Don't be alarmed by the large amount of raisins that go in the bread: they will all fit! For this recipe, I rinse the raisins in warm water, let them sit in the warm water for a few minutes, then set them out to air dry for a couple of hours. I want them somewhat plump-ish on the inside but not overly saturated, and dry on the outside. 

Rozijnenbrood

2 cups (250 grams) raisins

1 3/4 cup (250 grams) all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons (25 grams) sugar

1/2 teaspoon (4 grams) salt

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup (125 ml) water or milk, lukewarm

2 teaspoons (8 grams) active dry yeast

3 tablespoons (40 grams) butter, softened

1 egg, beaten

Rinse the raisins in lukewarm water, and set them out to air dry. 

Mix the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the lukewarm water or
milk and let it stand for five minutes, or until it's frothy, then mix it in with the dry ingredients. Knead, either in a machine or by hand, until the dough more or less comes together, then add the butter and most of the egg (keep two teaspoons behind for brushing the top). Continue to knead the dough until you have  cohesive whole, about three to four minutes. Pat the dough into a ball, cover and let it rise for a good thirty minutes, or until about not quite doubled in size. 

Dust the counter with a little bit of flour, pat the air out of the dough, and put a handful of raisins on top. With the use of a scraper, or a floured hand, fold the dough over itself, incorporating the raisins. Repeat this until all the raisins have found a spot in the dough. 

Shape the dough into an oval loaf, grease a 8 x 4 inch (20 x 10 cm) loaf tin, and place the dough inside. Cover and let rise at room temperature until the dough peeks over the top: about an hour, but depending on the actual temperature of the room, this may take less - just keep an eye on it. When ready, brush the top with the remaining egg.

Heat the oven to 350F/175C and bake the loaf, in the middle, for about fifteen minutes, then place aluminum foil over the top to keep it from browning too fast. Bake for another twenty minutes, or until golden brown*. The internal temperature should measure 185F/85F and rising (meaning that the digital thermometer reaches the temperature pretty quickly and continues to rise beyond that). 

Pull the bread, let it cool in the tin, and remove it when it's lukewarm. Let it cool down on a rack before cutting. 

 * I don't follow the "bread is done when it sounds hollow when you tap it" because I don't know what "hollow" sounds like to anybody else, so I temp the bread with a digital thermometer. 

Soepballetjes

"Geef mij maar soep, soep, soep met balletjes" sang Rita Corita already in the 50's, and for those of you who listen to the Groeten Uit Het Zuiden podcast from Jordy Graat and Rob Kemps, may remember that last season's soup component started with the "Soep met Ballen" song by Leo van Helmond. 

Even the sheep Veronica, a fantastic poem by Annie M.G. Schmidt, brings up "soep met ballen", soup with meatballs, as a delightful, delicious, start of a dinner. It is truly an engrained and traditional addition to our kitchen, to our many soups, and delights many, young and old. 

So what are these soepballetjes? That's an easy answer: small meatballs that are added to traditionally tomato or vegetable soup, but they can also be added to other soups. Beyond that there is a vast choice of flavors, combinations, and options.  Commercially, soepballetjes can be bought pre-made and blanched in jars with bouillon, in cans with salted water, and in the meat section at the grocery store or at the butchers you can also buy them pre-seasoned and raw. 

We have soepballetjes made with beef, with half-om-half (half beef, half pork), made with chicken, turkey, or vegan. They come with different seasonings and in different variations. I've seen people use, outside of salt and white or black pepper, any combination of onion powder, nutmeg, coriander, ginger, mace, cardamom, chili powder, paprika, bay leaf, and a whole host of dried spices: parsley, thyme, oregano....

And then of course there are the soepballetjes made at home, where those who do make them, have their own family recipe or preferences. Some make them fresh while making the soup, others make a big batch every now and then (a fun family affair!), blanch and freeze them, still others fry them first so that they get some color. Some make them small, others make them bigger. Some only use meat, others add breadcrumbs or egg. All this to say that there is no "official", one way to make soepballetjes. But if you've never made them before and would like to give it a try, here's a very basic recipe. 

I make mine ahead of time by cooking them in bouillon and storing them in a container in the freezer. That way, when I make soup, I just grab a handful and add them last minute. The following recipe makes about 90 soepballetjes (I portion mine out at 5 grams, 0.2 oz). 

Soepballetjes

8 oz (225 grams) ground beef

8 oz (225 grams) ground pork

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

Salt

Pepper

Optional: nutmeg

1 bouillon cube of choice

Mix the two meats together with the breadcrumbs, and season with salt and pepper. Put a pot on the stove with 4 - 6 cups (1 - 1.5 liter) of water, add the bouillon cube (I use vegetable bouillon), and bring up to a low simmer (do not boil). Use a small ice cream scoop (mine is 1 teaspoon sized) to portion the meat and roll one or two mini marbles, as a tester. Add to the simmering bouillon. They will sink to the bottom first, and as they cook, float to the top. Remove the tester and taste. Adjust the seasonings to your liking, but remember that the flavor should not overpower the soup they're going to be in. 

Continue to portion out the meatballs. I make them fairly small, at 5 grams each (0.2 oz) but that is purely a personal preference, so go with what you feel is the right size for you. Simmer them in the bouillon, and remove them a few minutes after they float. Spread out on a baking sheet, cool, and then freeze them. Once frozen they can be kept in a container in the freezer. 

The bouillon can be used as a base for soup, so if you are doing that today, keep some of the soepballetjes behind - about four or five per person. As pork has quite a bit of fat, you may want to degrease it first, but again: that's a personal preference. 

Rondo's

Rondo's....that's not a typo, by the way. There are clear rules in Dutch for the endings s and 's. If a word ends in -e, -el, -en, -er, -em, -ie or -eau then you write s in the plural. If a word ends in -i, -a, -o, -u, -y then you make it plural with 's. If there is a vowel before y, you write s next to it. Anyway, just thought you'd like to know!

Enough of grammar and language though, let's get back to what's important: our food! Or in this case, our vast amount of cakes, cookies, and pastries. As you can tell from the table of contents on the right side of this website, there are so many already featured...and there are still so many more to talk about. We have an amazing array of options, so I'll just keep plugging away at it!

This recipe has been requested several times, and rightfully so. If you've been around Dutch baked goods, you know we have a love for anything almond paste filled: gevulde koeken, amandelbroodjes, kerststol, gevulde speculaas...you name it. Today's treat is no different: an individual koek (a large cookie) portion filled with sweet almond paste. They come in two shapes: round called rondo, and elongated, called kano, but they're both the same baked good. I don't have that much more information about them, oddly enough. They start appearing in bakery advertisements around the middle of last century with apparently no previous or historical reference. I will do some more digging! 

The kano and rondo require a dedicated ring or elongated bottomless baking form, which would be hard to come by for those of us abroad, but I made do with a muffin pan like this one, one that has 12 holes, each one about 3 inches (7.5 cm) wide and about 1 inch (2.5 inch) deep. It changes the shape a bit but not the flavor - yay! If you don't have any almond paste left over from our holiday baking, see if you can make the almond paste a day or two ahead of time. It is not mandatory, but will improve the flavor. However....don't let it keep you from making these. Any rondo is better than no rondo ;-)

This makes approximately 10 rondo's. 

Rondo's

For the dough

2 sticks (225 grams) butter

1 cup (150 grams) sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups (300 grams) all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Zest of 1/2 lemon

1 egg, beaten

Filling

1 cup (250 grams) almond paste

1/2 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon almond extract or flavoring

Topping

1/2 egg, beaten

10 plain, skinless almonds

Cut the butter in with the sugar, the baking powder, the flour, the salt and the lemon zest, until it resembles wet sand, then add the egg, and knead until the dough comes together. Wrap and chill. Mix the almond paste with half a beaten egg and a teaspoon of almond flavoring until it's well absorbed. Chill until use.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and roll out to 0.1 inch (3mm) thick. The diameter of the muffin cups is 3 inches, so you will need a cutter that measures 3.5 inches (8.8 cm) wide. I use an English muffin mold but a large jar lid will work as well. Spray each cup lightly and then carefully position a dough circle inside each cup, lining the sides almost to the top (see picture). 

Divide the almond paste between the rondos. Roll out the dough again and now cut out 10 circles, 3 inches wide, and place each circle on top of the almond paste. Carefully tap the sides of the circle with your finger so that it makes contact with the rest of the dough. Brush with the egg, and decorate with an almond piece. 

Bake in a 375F/190C oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. 

Bloemkool

I was reading through a stack of older housekeeping magazines looking for vegetable recipes, and I kept coming across cauliflower. We used to eat a lot of cauliflower! Not surprising really, because bloemkool has always been an affordable and available vegetable in the Netherlands. It's mostly grown around West-Friesland, in North Holland, on the islands and near Venlo in Limburg. 

Bloemkool is also a very versatile vegetable: it's easy and quick to prepare, and is fairly neutral in taste. Nowadays, bloemkool is eaten both raw (in salads or with a dip) and cooked, as a substitute for rice and mashed potatoes in low-carb recipes, or in au gratin casseroles, cheesy soups or as the main vegetable in the traditional Dutch AGV (potatoes, vegetables, and meat) menu. 

The other reason why cauliflower kept coming up so much is that it was so easy to use up if you had leftovers. The menu said to serve cauliflower boiled like today's recipe one day, and then make soup or an oven casserole out of the leftovers the next day. Nothing like Dutch frugality/practicality to create new dishes out of what was not used the previous day! I am quite appreciative of that creativity, to tell you the truth. 

Looking up to see how much we consume nowadays I thought it was interesting to read that, according to a Dutch magazine survey from 2021, people under 40 years old do not include cauliflower at all in their top 10 of vegetables, and those over 60 only as their 8th most purchased one. Surprising, because cauliflower is low-cal, has plenty of fiber and anti-oxidants and contains choline and sulforaphane, important for eh...all kinds of things. It's just not a very instagram-able vegetable, I guess? 

The cauliflower I prepared today is served oma-style, the old-fashioned way, which is boiled and with a "papje", a white sauce. Traditionally, this is accompanied by boiled potatoes, and a choice of meat, most often a gehaktbal, a meatball, but it goes well with almost any kind of protein. Colorwise, it's all very beige on your plate, I can't even make it look good in the picture, but it is such a comforting dish! Big, soft lumps of cauliflower, covered in a silky, creamy sauce seasoned with salt and pepper, and a sprinkling of nutmeg on top....you can't go wrong. IF you like cauliflower, that is. This is one of those dishes that you either love or hate - there is little in between! 

I prefer to make the sauce with the cooking liquid, and a splash of cream at the end, to get more of that cauliflower flavor, and any possible nutrients that may have survived the boil, so I keep an eye on the cooking time, and try to not overcook it. I save the rest of the cooking liquid to purée the leftovers with the next day and make a cheesy bloemkoolsoep for lunch, but if you don't care for leftovers or cauliflower soup, feel free to use milk only.

For this recipe I used fresh cauliflower, but frozen works just as well. 

Bloemkool met een papje

2 lbs (1 kg) cauliflower, rinsed and broken into florets

5 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

For the sauce

4 tablespoons (50 grams) butter

1/3 cup (50 grams) flour*

2 cups (500 ml) milk or cooking liquid

Salt, white pepper, nutmeg

Bring the water to a boil, salt, and add the cauliflower. Boil at medium heat for about fifteen minutes, then check to see if the texture is to your liking: the longer you cook it, the softer it gets. 

When it's the right texture, drain the cauliflower but save the water, and measure out two cups (500 ml). (Don't discard the rest of the cooking water if you are planning on making soup with the leftovers). Put the empty cooking pot back on the stove, and in it, melt the butter (do not brown). With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour until the two have come together as a paste, and slowly add the two cups of milk or cooking liquid, while stirring. Keep stirring until the lumps are gone and the sauce has thickened and is hot. Bring up to taste with salt and pepper. 

Add the cauliflower back into the pot with the sauce, stir once or twice so that the vegetable is covered with the sauce, or serve the sauce on the side. Right before serving, sprinkle a pinch of nutmeg over the cauliflower. Serve with boiled potatoes.   

*If you would rather not use flour, use cornstarch to make a slurry and bind the sauce.

Tomatenschoteltje

There is an abundance of "schoteltje" recipes in our traditional kitchen, like "broodschoteltje", "macaronischoteltje", "beschuitschoteltje", "rijstschoteltje". It appears to be a collective name for predominantly sweet dessert dishes, but not always, like today's savory dish. 

I don't really have a good translation for the "schoteltje" part. Schoteltje literally means "small dish". The recipes themselves fall somewhere between small casseroles, au gratin dishes, or cocottes - but they're not always a full-blown casserole, which would imply cooking for a lengthy time in the oven using raw ingredients (because that would be an "ovenschotel", an oven dish), and not all recipes require gratin, and sometimes cocottes are initially meant to contain personal servings, which also doesn't apply. So for now, I am going with the unsatisfactory English name of "dish". Maybe you can help me come up with something better? 

Most schoteltje recipes are generated straight out of our frugal tendencies: they use up old bread, leftover rice or pasta, even oliebollen, and often incorporate eggs, a food that is still affordable for most. So too this recipe, that uses up a glut of tomatoes, a handful of leftover shredded cheese, and a few eggs.

This recipe is a great lunch or brunch dish: tomatoes stuffed with cheesy scrambled egg, topped with bacon, and baked in the oven until the skin and flesh of the tomatoes softens and become jammy. Together with a green salad, or a few slices of bread or toast, it's a satisfying meal, as well as an affordable one. 

Tomatenschoteltje

4 large tomatoes

5 eggs

1 cup (100 grams) shredded cheese

4 strips bacon

Butter

Salt

Pepper

Herbs (optional)

Cut the top of the tomatoes, and put the caps aside for now. Hollow the tomatoes out with the help of a spoon. Save the seeds, or puree the tomato pulp and save it for soups. Sprinkle a little bit of salt on the inside of each tomato, and place it upside down in the dish. In the meantime, crack the eggs and whisk them, then melt the butter in a skillet. Add the egg mix, and when it starts to set, add the cheese, then scramble the eggs. Season with salt and pepper and herbs, if desired. Don't overcook the eggs.

Heat the oven to 400F/200C. Turn the tomatoes right side up, stuff them with the scrambled eggs, and top each one with a strip of bacon. Replace the cap, add a little bit of water to the bottom of the dish, and bake the tomatoes for 20 - 25 minutes, until the caps are slightly shriveled and the tomatoes are starting to burst. 

Serve warm, with toast, or a green salad. Eet smakelijk!

Why can't I print your recipes???

 Every now and then I get that question. It usually comes with a string of question marks or the occasional angry face. I’ve mentioned my reasons in passing before, but after receiving another heated message last week, I figured it was time to put everything in one place so you all know where I stand. I realize this might cost me a few readers, but I also think it’s important that you understand why...and maybe even feel inspired by it.

When I started The Dutch Table in 2009, my dream was to create a living repository of recipes, filled with the stories behind our dishes, our food traditions, and our history. I wanted a place to preserve the flavors and memories that shaped us, something to reach for when memory might one day fade. Many years later, I feel grateful that this vision has taken root. Thousands of people visit the website, try the recipes, read the stories, and sometimes share their own. Our community isn’t just Dutch readers; it’s children and grandchildren of Dutch immigrants, people married into Dutch families, and those who simply fell in love with our food somewhere along the way.

Not long after I started the site, the emails began to arrive: requests for help in finding recipes that existed only in memory: “My grandmother used to make something like this…” or “My dad talked about this dish, but I don’t remember the name…” Sometimes we’d start with just a single detail. Over the years, I’ve gathered a small library: cookbooks, housekeeping guides, gardening books, folklore,  preservation manuals, paired with countless hours of digging through newspapers, ads, journals, handwritten notes, anything that might hold a clue. The joy of rediscovering a dish that someone feared was lost forever has been worth every moment. Because it’s never just about food, is it? It’s about memory, identity, and the people we love. 

As a small business owner, my content is not only my livelihood but also a part of my personal creative expression. Having it freely printable makes it challenging to manage and protect my work. More importantly, I believe in the charm and tradition of handwritten recipes. There's something special about a recipe that's been copied down by hand, perhaps with personal notes and adaptations, and then passed on. It's a way of making each recipe your own and creating a legacy that can be handed down through generations.

A handwritten recipe becomes part of you. Your notes, your substitutions, the date scribbled in the corner, the oil stain from when you were rushing around the kitchen: it all turns into a tiny piece of family history. Those pages become treasured in a way that printed sheets rarely do.

To be clear: you can print the recipes. A simple right-click, “print,” choose your pages, and boom! -they’re yours. But I want to gently encourage you to try something different: take the time to copy down the recipes you love by hand. Perhaps in a notebook or scrapbook, or even on recipe cards. Add notes about when you served it, who loved it, what it reminded you of. Doodle in the margins. Let it get a little messy. Keep it close at hand in the kitchen. An online recipe is easy to find, but a handwritten one carries your memories, and that is what makes it priceless.

I hope this helps explain my perspective. And I hope you’ll continue cooking, reading, remembering, and keeping our culinary heritage alive: one recipe, and one story, at a time.

Thank you for keeping our culinary heritage and traditions alive, and for your support always.

Nicole

Notebooks

I put these blank notebooks (120 and 200 lined pages) together with some of my favorite vintage Dutch images. You can see the selection here, If you buy through this link, the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program will pay us a small commission on qualifying purchases. It does not increase your cost or price, and it will help us keep the website running. Your support is very much appreciated!