Dutch Bokkenpootjes; it doesn’t get more typical Dutch than these delicious cookies. They are essentially two almond meringue cookies, filled with a cream filling and then dipped in dark chocolate. You’ve never heard of this delicious Dutch treat? They are worth making!

What is a Dutch bokkenpootje?

In the Netherlands these cookies are pretty well known and I don’t think anyone ever questions why they are called “bokkenpootje”. Literally translated that would be “goat’s feet”. Sounds a bit odd for a cookie right? But if you think about it and with a little bit of imagination, they do resemble goat feet.

But the name is actually a little bit more sinister. It represents the feet of the devil. And eating one such bokkenpootje would protect a recently deceased loved one from evil in the afterlife. But no worries, you can eat these any time of day (or night) and no need for anyone to die either.

Baking Dutch bokkenpootjes had been on my baking list for a long time. I love them! If you’re a fan of almond flavor these almond meringue cookies will be your new favorite. For each cookie you need two almond meringue cookies and they are then sandwiched with a cream in the middle. The outside of the meringue cookies get a thin layer of flaked almonds and the ends of the cookies are dipped in melted chocolate.

The almond meringue cookies you buy in the grocery stores are usually a little smaller than the ones I have made. Making them a little bigger is extra tasty and easier to work with too.

What do you need for baking almond meringue cookies?

In order for the best cookies you need to make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature to start with. You need the following ingredients for the cookies:

• egg whites
• granulated white sugar – make sure you use fine sugar
• almond flour – almond meal
• all purpose flour
• flaked almonds

First you whip the egg whites with the 125 grams of sugar to stiff peaks. Now add the almond flour and the regular all purpose flour (pass through a sieve if you want to make sure there are no lumps) and gently fold it through the egg whites until it is well combined.

Now fill a piping bag with a large plain tip of around 1 cm Ø (0.4 inch) attached with the almond mixture. Take a large baking sheet with parchment paper and pipe almond meringue cookies which measure roughly 9 centimeter (or 3.5 inch). Keep in mind that you will need 24 cookies to make a final 12 Dutch bokkenpootjes.

Once you have piped all your almond mixture, sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top. Rub them between your fingers to make them slightly smaller and sprinkle over the cookies. Bake in the oven at top- and bottom heat for around 20 minutes or until lightly golden. The oven temperature should be at 350˚F (180˚C).

Making the cream filling

Once the almond meringue cookies are made it is time to move on to making your cream filling. For this you whip soft butter, vanilla extract, icing sugar and a little bit of double cream together. Whip till it is smooth and creamy. Transfer to a piping bag and cut the tip of the bag. Or alternatively use a small nozzle.

Assemble the cookies you baked and make sure you select them by size. Placing the equally sized cookies together. Pipe some of the cream onto one half of the cookies and place the other half on top.

Dipping biscuits in chocolate

Now in order to make the final bokkenpootje, you need to dip it in melted chocolate. If you know anything about chocolate, you know that it is very important to temper the chocolate first. If you don’t, you will end up with a white film on top of the chocolate. They will still taste good but it is just not so appealing.

Some other advantages of tempering the chocolate; it’s super crunchy and has that beautiful ‘crack’ when you bite into a cookie. It is glossy and beautiful, it shines and – even better – you can hold the chocolate without it melting. Obviously you can’t hold it forever, but it does prevent chocolate fingers.

How to temper chocolate

In a nutshell, tempering chocolate involves heating the chocolate (which breaks down the sugar and cocoa butter crystals) and then lowering the temperature of the chocolate (which repairs those crystals). This gives you a chance to dip a tasty almond meringue cookie in the chocolate in the meantime, like these pretty Dutch bokkenpootjes.

Chocolate should always be tempered with a thermometer, so you can be sure it’s done right. But there is a way to do it without a thermometer, called the inoculation method. And this is my favorite method, because it allows anyone to temper chocolate at home.

You divide the amount of chocolate you want to melt into three parts. You melt two of these at a time in a double boiler (au bain marie).

When the chocolate is completely melted, add the last bit of chocolate. This will melt from the heat of the chocolate that has already melted, immediately bringing the temperature back down (and repairing the crystals).

Upper lip

Once the chocolate is melted, check the temperature. Since you won’t be using a thermometer, you’ll have to rely on yourself with a simple trick. Dip your finger into the chocolate and dab it on your upper lip. Your skin is much more sensitive here, so it acts as a thermometer. Does the chocolate feel slightly cool? Then it’s good and you can keep working with it! If it is still a little warm, continue to stir gently, checking the temperature of the chocolate from time to time.

Some chocolate connoisseurs will raise their eyebrows and call me crazy (or maybe they will anyway) because this is not the official method. To be absolutely sure, use a thermometer. However, I learnt this trick from a chocolatier at the Baking Museum and it works every time (after practicing a few times). And since not every home baker has a (sugar) thermometer in the kitchen drawer, I am happy to share this tip with you!

BAKING TIP: To melt the chocolate au bain-marie (in a double boiler), you will need a heat-resistant bowl. A glass or metal mixing bowl will work well.

More Dutch cookies

Of course, there are many more typical Dutch cookies at Laura’s Bakery. Have a look at these recipes as well:

• Stroopwafels
• Gevulde koeken (Dutch almond based filled cookies)
• Dutch cinnamon rolls  (Zeeuwse bolussen)
• Eierkoeken (Dutch egg cakes)

Or check out all the Dutch recipes.

The perfect base recipe for vanilla cupcakes. With this easy cupcake recipe you have the perfect starting point for all your cupcakes. Add a vanilla frosting or any other kind of topping to your liking.

What are cupcakes?

Cupcakes are simply small (one-person) cakes baked in cupcake liners or in a cupcake tin. In the past, cupcakes were served at high tea and baked in teacups, which is probably where the name ‘cupcake’ comes from.

Instead of a scale most people also used a measuring cup, which is another reason for the name. While a lot of people still use cups for measuring dry and wet ingredients, for the most accurate result I would always suggest using a weighing scale instead.

Cupcakes are the perfect little treat to bake for many different occasions. From baby showers to birthday parties and whenever you feel like having a small treat. Decorating them in a variety of different ways is also great and a fun activity with kids (or adults!) as well.

Remember, cupcakes and muffins are not the same. You can read al about the difference between cupcakes and muffins here.

How to make cupcakes?

Making a basic vanilla cupcakes recipe is a good start if you want to learn how to make the perfect cupcake. This cupcake recipe makes exactly 12 cupcakes in a regular cupcake tin. I used my vanilla loaf cake recipe as the base of this recipe but I have adjust the quantities to match the tin and changed some of the proportions.

Another change is the fact that these vanilla cupcakes use less sugar. While you will eat your regular loaf cake usually without frosting, most cupcakes will contain a frosting like a vanilla buttercream frosting or a chocolate frosting. Since those are also quite sweet, it makes sense to make the cupcake batter less sweet.

What ingredients do you need?

The recipe calls for simple ingredients which you will be able to find in most grocery stores. I list them below for easy reference:

• Self-raising flour – This is essentially all purpose flour combined with baking powder.
• Granulated sugar – I like to use a superfine sugar.
• Vanilla extract – can be replaced by vanilla bean paste or vanilla sugar.
• Unsalted butter – at room temperature.
• Eggs – 4 medium sized, which weighs about 50 grams each.

Other than that you need a large mixing bowl or use a stand mixer to mix the batter. An electric mixer will work as well.

The process

You start by adding the butter, sugar and vanilla together in the bowl of the stand mixer or whatever other large bowl you’re using. Mix this together until the color starts to get light and the texture creamy.

Now add the eggs one by one and make sure to mix the batter in between until the egg is fully absorbed into the batter. Now add the self-raising flour and the salt bit by bit until fully mixed. And that’s it. Batter is ready!

Now all you have to do is to add the vanilla cupcake batter into the cupcake liners. You can scoop the batter into the liners with a spoon but an ice cream scoop is a handy accessory to use for equal measured cupcakes.

Pop them into the preheated oven (350˚F or 175˚C. Top and bottom heat/conventional oven) for around 20 minutes and they are ready! Keep the oven door closed until they are baked.

Make sure to place them on a cooling rack before adding buttercream or another frosting.

What other cupcake flavors can I make?

As far as cupcake recipes go, this is the perfect base recipe with which you can create endless flavors. Think about adding some chocolate chips to the batter or a tablespoon of cocoa powder for a chocolate batter.

Or vary the flavor by adding a different kind of sugar, like brown sugar or coconut sugar. The fluffy texture of these cupcakes is perfect for many different variations. I will soon be sharing lots of different flavors.

Decorating the cupcakes

Baking the vanilla cupcakes is step 1 of the process. Step 2 – and the most fun – is to decorate them. You don’t need to decorate them if you don’t want to. They are delicious just as they are but any cupcake will look better with a pretty frosting on top. How the frosting looks is also greatly depending on which frosting tip you use. So you can definitely vary that as well.

And who doesn’t love a pretty decorated cupcake? You can decorate with buttercream, vegan buttercream or with fondant or marzipan. You can fill them with jam or fruit or decorate them in another way.

The most basic frosting is simply a glaze of icing sugar combined with a little bit of lemon juice (or water). Takes no time at all and is always tasty. Just drizzle it over the cooled cupcakes Or try and make these strawberry cupcakes. Adding some fresh fruit on top of the frosting is delicious and looks good too!

The words may only differ by two letters, but they are still two very different products from two different countries: speculoos and speculaas. Part of the difference is in the spices used. One contains only cinnamon; the other contains many other types of spices.

Speculaas from the Netherlands

Dutch speculaas is full of spices. The spice mix is made in a variety of ways, but my speculaas spice mix recipe includes the following ingredients:

• Cinnamon
• nutmeg
• Cloves
• ginger
• mace
• cardamom

Other common ingredients are coriander seed, allspice, anise seed, and white pepper. Every baker has their own favorite combination of spices to bake their speculaas with.

Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas)

In the Netherlands, Sinterklaas is celebrated every year on December 5th. The Dutch version of Santa Claus. All kinds of pastries with speculaas flavor are part of it, with kruidnoten being the most popular treat.

Speculaas recipes

Convinced by the taste of Speculaas? Then I have some delicious Dutch recipes for you!

• Homemade Dutch speculaas chunks (speculaasbrokken)
• Dutch almond paste filled spiced cookies (gevulde speculaas)
• Dutch spiced breakfast cake (ontbijtkoek)

Speculoos from Belgium

Let’s start with speculoos, you may know them as the cookies from Lotus Biscoff. They also sell a Biscoff spread and even Biscoff ice cream. I find them all incredibly delicious.

Speculoos is the Belgian answer to the Dutch speculaas cookies. But where the speculaas has several spices, the speculoos has only one: cinnamon.

Now, it’s a bit of a stretch to call speculoos cookies cinnamon cookies, because anyone who’s tried them knows that there are several other flavors in them. Those come from brown sugar syrup and/or caramelized sugar.

Why are the names so similar?

The Dutch word “loos” means “without” in English. Speculoos actually means cookies without speculaas.

The names are often used interchangeably these days, which can lead to confusion. Hopefully, after reading this article, you’ll know the difference and won’t get confused again.

A quick history lesson

The Netherlands had a rich spice trade with the VOC (Dutch East India Company) in the 17th century. All kinds of spices were transported from the colonies to the Netherlands.

Eventually they started making mixtures of these spices, and that’s how speculaas came to be used to make cookies.

But in Belgium they did not have access to all these spices, it was very expensive for them. So at the beginning of the 20th century, they came up with an alternative: speculoos. They used only cinnamon, but added brown sugar syrup to make them more flavorful.

A short summary

Even though the name is almost the same, speculaas and speculoos are two different flavors/cookies. Speculaas is a typical Dutch cookie and gets its flavor of different spices used in the speculaas spice mix.

Speculoos cookies have been created as ‘cookie without speculaas spices’ in Belgium. The brand Lotus is known for their speculoos cookies. The taste comes from the special production process of the caramelisation of sugar in the cookie. Speculoos often includes only one spice: cinnamon.

Zeeuwse bolussen are a traditional Dutch pastry that is loved by many. They are sticky, gooey cinnamon buns with lots of sugar. Best eaten warm!

What are Zeeuwse bolussen

In the Netherlands we call this delicacy ‘Zeeuwse bolussen’. Other names are Zeeland rolls or Dutch cinnamon rolls. They are named after the province they come from: Zeeland.

Zeeuwse bolussen are not made like most cinnamon rolls. You don’t need a rolling pin to roll out the dough, spread the sugar mixture on top, roll it up and cut it into slices.

Instead, the dough is divided into equal parts, rolled into individual ropes in a sugar mixture, and then spiraled into shape.

The result is an amazingly sticky, gooey cinnamon roll. The dough is still soft and tender and a perfect match for the cinnamon roll crust. Which is mostly gooey, but has some nice crispy edges.

How to make Dutch cinnamon rolls

As you know, these Dutch sticky buns are made a little differently than traditional cinnamon rolls. You start by kneading the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until it has doubled in volume. Depending on the temperature, this may take a bit longer (or shorter!).

Nothing strange so far. But now: divide the dough into equal parts. These little balls of dough are rolled into ropes and you roll them in a cinnamon-sugar mixture. There is no melted butter in this mixture, just dark brown sugar and cinnamon. The sugar sticks to the dough as you roll it.

When they are long enough, shape them into a spiral. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and let them rest for another hour.

Now they are ready for the oven! You will bake the buns in just 7-9 minutes on a really hot temperature. Keep an eye on them to prevent them from drying out.

How to serve Zeeland rolls

I like my Dutch cinnamon rolls best when they are still warm, so good! That is the only way I have ever eaten them.

A combination you sometimes see: filled with pastry cream! That must be delicious.

If you like the classic cinnamon roll topping, you could even use cream cheese frosting for the buns, but that is not a traditional topping for these buns.

How to store Zeeland rolls

They may be so good you want to eat them all in one sitting, but it is perfectly possible to store them and enjoy them later.

Store Dutch cinnamon rolls

At room temperature, these rolls will keep fresh for 2-3 days in a closed container outside the refrigerator.

Freeze Dutch cinnamon rolls

If frozen in an airtight container, they will keep fresh for up to 3 months.

BAKING TIP: Want to try another Dutch classic? Try baking these stroopwafels!

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Recipe for Dutch Cinnamon Rolls (Zeeuwse bolussen)

Zeeland bolussen are delicious, sticky, sugared rolls from the Dutch province of Zeeland. You could say they are the Dutch cinnamon buns.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time9 minutes mins

Resting time2 hours hrs

Total Time2 hours hrs 39 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

• 500 grams all purpose flour
• 280 ml milk lukewarm
• 10 grams dry instant yeast
• 1 egg M
• 50 grams unsalted butter
• 10 grams salt
• 500 grams dark brown sugar
• 1.5-2 tbsp cinnamon

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, milk, yeast, egg, butter, and salt. Knead into a smooth dough using a dough hook for about 10 minutes. The dough should be a little sticky, but that’s okay.
• Let the dough rise, covered, in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in volume.
• Meanwhile, stir in the dark brown sugar and cinnamon (to taste) in a small bowl and spread the mixture on a baking sheet.
• Dump the dough onto your work surface and squeeze out the air. Divide into 12 equal parts.
• Form balls, roll in sugar and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Roll the dough balls in the sugar into a string about 35 cm/14 inches long.
• Roll the string into a spiral, starting in the middle. Tuck the end of the string under the roll. Place the buns on a baking sheet with enough space between them. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.
• Bake the boluses at 250°C/480°F (conventional oven) for 7-9 minutes. Keep a close eye on them, as they can bake quickly and you don’t want them to bake too long and become dry.
• After baking, immediately turn the boluses upside down on another plate or platter. Let them cool there. Flip the entire plate or use a spatula to move and flip each one. Do not use your hands as the sugar is very hot.

Speculaasbrokken are typically Dutch and are often eaten in the fall and winter, especially around Sinterklaas. However, they are available all year round, and as far as I’m concerned, just make your own speculaasbrokken with this easy recipe.

Making Dutch speculaas chunks

Speculaas is a very popular flavor in the Netherlands. You could call it the Dutch gingerbread. With a homemade speculaas spice mix you can add this delicious taste to all kinds of baked goods.

I love everything with that spicy taste. It doesn’t matter if it’s a traditional recipe or if I just turn another recipe into a Speculaas version.

Speculaasbrokken are a traditional Dutch recipe. In the store you usually buy big crunchy pieces, that you break into smaller pieces, with my recipe you get softer pieces. Personally, I like that best!

Another nice bonus: the house smells deliciously of speculaas spices when you make these speculaas cookies. For that alone, you’ll want to get in the kitchen right away!

Speculaasbrokken ingredients

The list of ingredients for speculaas chunks is not complicated, but each ingredient plays an important role. I’ll walk you through each one:

• Self-rising flour. These cookies rise a bit in the oven, which gives them a nice, slightly softer texture.
• Dark brown sugar. Gives a deeper flavor than regular sugar and a nice color.
• Speculaas Spice Mix. The ultimate flavor in this recipe. You can even add an extra teaspoon if you like. You can easily make this spice mix yourself.
• Salt. Almost all sweet baking recipes call for (at least a pinch of) salt. Salt balances all the flavors.
• Cold butter. Normally, butter should always be at room temperature, but not in this recipe, because cold butter makes your speculaas pieces nice and crispy, especially around the edges.
• Milk. The right amount of milk is important for binding the proteins in a recipe, as well as for a nice, crispy exterior. That’s why a little egg and milk are mixed together and brushed on before baking. This not only gives them a crispy exterior, but also a nice shine.
• Almonds. These are added just for a little extra flavor and decoration.

TIP: Speculaas and speculoos are two very different things but yet so similar, you can read about the difference between speculoos and speculaas here.

The difference between speculaas and gingerbread

The main difference between speculaas and gingerbread is the use of spices. Speculaas spices contain more (and different) spices in total, and cinnamon is the main spice.

In gingerbread spices, both ginger and cinnamon are prominent, but because ginger has a more pronounced flavor, you taste it above them.

Even though I love the gingerbread spices the most, the gingerbread spices are also a big favorite of mine and I use them both a lot. Do you have a preference or do you, like me, like to alternate?

Tips for Dutch speculaas chunks

I have made speculoos biscuits many times, and so I am happy to share with you my two most important tips.

Make your own speculaas spice mix

Making your own speculaas spice mix is nothing more than mixing a number of spices together.

This way you can choose the exact ratio between the different spices and create the most tasty speculaas spices.

And you can taste that in your speculaas. Use my recipe for speculaas spice mix to make your own jar full of these tasty spices.

Let your cookie dough rest

I can’t say this enough: always let your cookie dough rest if the recipe calls for it. Do you like crunchy speculaas pieces? One way to achieve this is to let the dough rest long enough. The gluten in the self-rising flour will “relax” in the refrigerator, making for a crispier result.

Full flavor is another reason to prepare your dough the night before and let it rest overnight in the refrigerator. This will allow the spices to be absorbed into the dough and the flavor to develop.

How to store Dutch speculaasbrokken

After you have a cookie sheet full of speculaasbrokken, you probably won’t eat them all in one sitting (although I could). Fortunately, you can keep them well.

Storing speculaas chunks

In an airtight container, they will keep for about two weeks. You can store them at room temperature.

Freezing speculaas chunks

In an airtight container, the cookies will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. I like to store them between layer of parchment paper so they don’t stick to each other.

Do you love cheesecake and cookies? Then this recipe for delicious Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies is for you. Delicious soft and chewy cookies with that creamy cheesecake filling that taste great. You will want to try these!

Homemade Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies

The combination of strawberries and cheesecake is always a good idea. Just look at these no-bake strawberry cheesecake bites. Then imagine a cheesecake inside of a cookie with fresh strawberries, it’s incredibly delicious. I know what I’m going to bake multiple times this strawberry season!

These cheesecake cookies are certainly not difficult to make yourself. But to be honest, it can get a little messy when you wrap the cheesecake filling in the dough. Let me tell you, it’s totally worth it! And I’ll share my tips for making the least amount of mess possible.

Strawberry cookie dough

I use a dough similar to chocolate chip cookie dough for the base of these cookies. A favorite of many! This dough makes these cheesecake cookies deliciously creamy and they stay a little chewy and soft. Personally, I really like that about these cookies. And even better: you only need a few simple ingredients.

I first made cheesecake cookies for my cookbook ’50x Koekjes’ (50x Cookies in Dutch) and they were so good, I just had to make more. With a strawberry twist!

Of course, you can vary the flavors of these strawberry cookies even more. Think of different kinds of fruit or white chocolate in them. I can’t wait to make more cheesecake cookies.

Cheesecake filling

I made a simple cream cheese filling for these cookies. As for cream cheese, I like to use Philadelphia, but you can use any kind of regular cream cheese for these cookies. Just use a brand that’s not too watery or thin.

Once you have made the cream cheese mixture, use a teaspoon to make small dollops of cheesecake filling on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You don’t need the chopped strawberries yet, I add them together with the cheesecake filling in the cookies dough. That gave me the best results.

Keep the portions of cheesecake filling in the freezer until you fill the cookies. It melts quickly, so it’s best to take it out of the freezer one (pair) at a time. Believe me, otherwise it will be messy 😉 .

Fresh or frozen strawberries

I used fresh strawberries for this recipe, which are a little less moist than frozen strawberries.

You can also use frozen strawberries, but be aware that they may be a bit more moist. If you decide to use frozen strawberries, I would use them frozen in the cookies and not let them thaw first.

Keep in mind that the cookies may need a 1-2 minutes extra in the oven.

Another option: freeze-dried strawberries! I did not try this, but I have baked with them before and I know -almost- certain this would work as well.

How to assemble the cookies

Once you have you cookie dough balls, frozen cream cheese balls and chopped strawberries, it is time to make them into strawberry cheesecake cookies.

Take a ball of cookie dough and remove about a third of the dough. Make a ball of the bigger piece of dough, flatten it a bit and make a dimple in the dough.

Put a piece of frozen cheesecake in this simple. Add some strawberry pieces and use the small piece of dough to cover it up. Press the edges together, form into a nice round ball and place on a prepared baking sheet.

It’s totally fine if there are soms cracks in the dough where you can see the filling. If you like, you can press some extra strawberry pieces into the dough.

How to store strawberry cheesecake cookies

​After you have a cookie sheet full of freshly baked cookies, you probably won’t eat them all in one sitting. Fortunately, you can keep them well.​

Storing strawberry cheesecake cookies

In a jar or airtight container, they will keep for about a week. Where I normally don’t store cookies in the fridge, these cookies will stay best in de refrigerator due to the cheesecake filling.

Freezing strawberry cheesecake cookies

In an airtight container, the cookies will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. I like to store them between layer of parchment paper so they don’t stick to each other.

The classic French madeleine cookies with a layer of chocolate, a perfect little treat that is really easy to make. I’ll share my recipe for vanilla madeleines dipped in chocolate.

What are madeleine cookies?

Let’s start with the fact that madeleines are not cookies. They are small shell shaped cakes, French butter cakes to be exact.

A good madeleine is crispy on the outside and soft and spongy on the inside. And don’t forget: a well-baked madeleine has a nice little belly. The other side looks like a shell, which is due to the shell-shaped molds used to bake French madeleines.

Enjoy a homemade madeleine with a cup of coffee or hot tea. These delicate French cakes are perfect little treats to serve to your guests.

How to make madeleines

It’s not that hard to make madeleines at home. But there are some things to keep in mind to have the best result. I will share what I’ve learned of baking a lot of madeleines in all kinds of flavors.

Chill the batter

To make these little cakes, you need chilled batter. I put a piping bag with the batter in the fridge, as that’s the easiest way to pipe the batter in the baking pan.

Chill the batter for about 2 hours. you can wait longer, but keep in mind the batter wil be hard an cannot be piped with a piping bag in you buttered pan.

​Baking pan

To get the shell shape, you’ll need special madeleine pans. Brush the pan with melted butter with a pastry brush or use baking spray.

After baking, tap the pan on the counter immediately. They will come out of the pan very easily when they come straight out of the oven. Wait any longer and they will just stick to the pan.

I like to use metal molds to bake fluffy madeleines, but you can also use a silicone mold.

Chocolate covered madeleines

The concept is very simple. First, bake the madeleines and let them cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Then fill the cavities of the (well-cleaned) madeleine pan with a tablespoon of melted chocolate.

You can use a thermometer to check if the chocolate is tempered for that perfect shiny chocolate coating, but I personally don’t use a thermometer. I’ve included instructions on how to temper your chocolate without a thermometer in the recipe. It takes a little practice, but it’s very easy.

Then you simply add some chocolate to the special pan and press the baked madeleines back into the chocolate-filled cavities. When the chocolate is fully set, you can remove them from the non-stick madeleine pan.

The result is beautiful, delicious chocolate-filled madeleines. Very fancy ones, if you ask me. These madeleines are ready for the holidays!

​TIP: Love chocolate? Try my recipe for a quick and easy chocolate mug cake! No egg needed for this recipe and ready in minutes.

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Chocolate dipped madeleines recipe

The classic French madeleine cookies with a layer of chocolate, a perfect little treat that is really easy to make. I’ll share my recipe for vanilla madeleines dipped in chocolate.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Cooling time3 hours hrs

Total Time3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 24 servings

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 150 grams fine caster sugar
• 150 grams all purpose flour
• 125 g unsalted butter melted and cooled
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 200 grams chocolate for the coating

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

• Beat eggs and sugar in a medium bowl until a airy mixture whose volume has increased 3 times, you are definitely mixing for 5 minutes for this. Add the flour and melted butter to the egg mixture. Finally, add the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. You can either use a stand mixer or hand mixer for this recipe.
• Put the batter in the refrigerator for 2 hours before proceeding.
• Grease the pan and dust with flour. Tap out excess flour. Pipe or spoon the madeleine batter into the pan. I like to use a piping bag, but using 2 teaspoons worked well too.
• Bake the madeleines for 8-10 minutes at 200°C/390°F (conventional oven) until golden brown. Release the madeleines on a cooling rack immediately. Allow the madeleines to cool completely and thoroughly clean the baking pans.
• Melt 2/3 of the chocolate in a separate bowl in a double boiler, remove the bowl when melted from the heat and add the remaining chocolate. Stir well until all is melted tot ribbon stage.
• Pour a generous teaspoon of melted chocolate into each cavity of the pan. Spread the chocolate out a bit and press the madeleine in firmly until you see the chocolate coming out at the edge of the madeleine.
• Allow the chocolate to set completely. Then tap the pan on your work surface firmly to release the madeleines from the pan. I found that the madeleines came off easily this way, some a little faster than others.

Want to try a classic savory Dutch snack? Try Bitterballen! These fried meatballs are made from a thick, meaty gravy that is rolled in breadcrumbs for a crispy bite. A perfect snack to enjoy and easy to make!

Dutch meatballs

Bitterballen are often referred to as Dutch meatballs. It’s not a classic meatball made from a mixture of meat. No, bitterballen are made of beef broth with shredded beef and a handful of other ingredients. A delicious meaty filling with a crispy crust.

These fried Dutch meatballs are traditionally made with beef, but you can also try other flavors. How about chicken or veal? And if you’re looking for a vegetarian bitterballen, there are bitterballen made with mushrooms.

Ingredients

When I developed my recipe for Dutch meatballs, I wanted to make sure it was really easy. So I bought a jar of beef broth that already had shredded beef in it. If you can’t find that ingredient, you can buy (or make) your own beef broth and add the beef separately. Sometimes I use the broth with the meat and add extra meat for a really tasty filling.

In addition to the broth and the beef, you need some ingredients to make a nice roux. And to make it thick enough, you add some gelatin leaves. Here are all the ingredients for the stuffing:

• Beef broth. You can make your own or buy a jar of beef broth at the grocery store. Either will be fine.
• Shredded beef (brisket). Only if you have broth without pieces of meat, or if you want to add extra meat.
• Gelatin sheets. To make sure the filling is thick enough to cut into squares and roll into balls for breading.
• Unsalted butter. For making the roux. I prefer unsalted to have more control over the amount of salt.
• Flour. For making the roux. All-purpose flour is fine.
• Parsley. I used fresh parsley and chopped it finely for the stuffing.
• Mustard. Bitterballen are dipped in mustard when you eat them, but it’s also a perfect flavoring for the filling.
• Whipping cream. To make the filling nice and creamy.
• Eggs. For breading the bitterballen. You first roll the filling in an egg mixture.
• Bread crumbs. For breading the bitterballen. Roll the balls trough the bread crumbs after the egg mixture.

You’ll also need

There are some tools that come in handy when frying the meatballs. This is what I use:

• Deep fryer, large skillet or Dutch oven. I prefer my Dutch oven for fried snacks. I have a pan that I only use for frying.
• Sunflower oil. I like to use sunflower oil for frying, but you can also use other types of vegetable oil. You’ll fry the bitterballen for a couple of minutes in a few inches of oil.
• Skimmer. To scoop the bitterballen out of the oil.
• Paper towel. After frying the bitterballen, I put them on some paper towels to absorb some of the oil.

How to serve bitterballen

After spending some time in the kitchen making this Dutch recipe, you’ll have a serving of nice golden-brown bitterballen ready to enjoy.

In the Netherlands, fried meatballs are a popular snack that you can order at a cafe. Or serve them at home for a party, game day or birthday. They are usually eaten as a snack and not for dinner. But if you do eat them for dinner, they will probably be served with fries.

You can drink whatever you want with a bitterball, but this Dutch food is often served as a tasty snack with some alcoholic beverages. Most Dutch people love the combination of a nice cold beer with a piping hot bitterbal.

For dipping

Bitterballen are dipped in a sauce, usually mustard. I prefer to dip them in mayonnaise.

And be careful when you take a bite: Bitterballen are best when they come straight out of the fryer and are piping hot. I have burned my mouth countless times.

How to store bitterballen?

The best way to eat bitterballen is right after frying them. If you have leftovers, I would not save them (although I have never tried, there are never leftovers).

​Freezing bitterballen

After breading, you have two options: fry and eat. Or: freeze them. You can freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag and keep them for up to 3 months. This way, you’ll always have a deep-fried snack (almost) ready to enjoy.

This way it’s possible to make a big batch and only fry the amount of bitterballen you need. You can fry them directly from the freezer, but they will need 30 seconds to 1 minute more to fry.

More Dutch recipes you’ll like

Looking for Dutch recipes? I got you! As a Dutchie I share a lot of authentic Dutch recipes on my blog. Here are some of my favorites. Sweet and savory.

• Saucijzenbroodjes (Dutch puff pastry sausage rolls)
• Poffertjes (Dutch mini pancakes)
• Boterkoek (Dutch butter cake)

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4.44 from 16 votes

Dutch Bitterballen recipe

Want to try a classic savory Dutch snack? Try Bitterballen! These fried meatballs are made from a thick, meaty gravy that is rolled in breadcrumbs for a crispy bite. A perfect snack to enjoy and easy to make!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Resting time3 hours hrs

Total Time3 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Servings: 18 servings

Ingredients

Filling

• 350 ml beef broth with at least 20% meat
• 2 gelatin sheets
• 80 grams unsalted butter
• 80 grams of all purpose flour
• handful of finely chopped parsley
• 2 tsp mustard
• 75 ml whipping cream

For breading

• olive oil to grease your hands with
• breadcrumbs
• 2-3 beaten eggs M

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

• Strain the finished broth and collect the meat. If necessary, cut it into smaller pieces. Soak the gelatin in water.
• Melt the butter, add the flour and cook this mixture, the roux, while stirring. When the flour begins to color, the roux is ready.
• Add the broth in 2-3 parts to the roux. Bring to the boil and simmer, stirring constantly, until you have a smooth and thick paste. Stir the rest of the ingredients in the meat mixture: chopped parsley, mustard and whipping cream. Remove pan from heat.
• Finally, squeeze the gelatin leaves and stir them into the filling. Pour it into a oven dish or shallow container and cover with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming. Leave to cool and chill in the refrigerator for several hours. I made the ragout in the evening and put it in the refrigerator overnight.
• When the filling has set, cut it into 18 equal pieces. Put some (olive) oil on your hands and roll the ragout pieces into small balls.
• Prepare a deep plate or bowl with the bread crumbs and another with the beaten eggs. Meanwhile, heat the pan with the oil to an oil temperature of 180°C/350°F.
• Roll a ball through the breadcrumbs, egg, breadcrumbs, egg, and finish with the breadcrumbs. Repeat for each ball. Each bitterbal will have three layers of breadcrumbs.
• Fry the bitterballen in small batches for 3.5 – 4 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Scoop them out of the oil and put them on a wire rack or baking sheet with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
• Serve immediately.

Dutch sausage rolls can be found in every grocery store and bakery in the Netherlands. Everyone loves a sausage full of flavor wrapped in buttery puff pastry. A sausage roll makes a perfect snack, or you can even eat them for lunch or serve them at picnics and other parties (especially if you make them smaller).

Two Dutch sausage roll recipes

We have two very popular sausage rolls in The Netherlands. The Dutch like their sausage rolls, we have two that are really popular: worstenbroodjes and saucijzenbroodjes. Both are sausage rolls, but they are different. Let’s take a look!

Worstenbroodjes

These sausage rolls are from the south of The Netherlands and are also called ‘Brabantse worstenbroodjes’. The meat mixture is very simple and only has mustard, salt and pepper for flavoring (in my recipe, some leave out the mustard).

The sausage is wrapped in bread dough. If you want to make these, here’s my recipe for sausage rolls in bread dough.

Saucijzenbroodje

Now the recipe I’m sharing with you in this blogpost. They aren’t from a specific region in the country, but you can buy them at a lot of places, it’s a popular snack.

The meat mixture has more flavorings: mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, speculaas spice mix, nutmeg and salt. A big difference when compared to the rolls above. Next difference: these sausages are wrapped in puff pastry. You can make your own or buy puff pastry from the store (fridge or freezer).

TIP: another great Dutch savory snack you want to try: bitterballen!

Mini sausage rolls

The size of a saucijzenbroodje is enough for a good snack. You can compare them to a sandwich. They are too big for an appetizer, but you can make them bite-sized!

Cut a sausage roll in three and you have a perfect appetizer. Perfect snack for a high tea, game day, picnics and many other occasions.

The baking temperature will stay the same, but the baking time will be a little shorter. Start with 20 minutes and then check if they need more time in the oven.

How to store a sausage roll

These saucijzenbroodjes are best when they come out of the oven and are still warm, but you can make them in advance and store them really wel. I’ll share my tips and tricks!

Storing unbaked sausage rolls

There are a few ways to store them unbaked, so I’ll give you all the options.

• You can freeze the sausages (without pastry) in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
• If you use homemade puff pastry or buy puff pastry from the refrigerator, you can store the sausage rolls in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
• If you used frozen puff pastry, you can’t store them in the freezer. But you can after baking.

Allow the frozen sausage rolls to thaw for about 45 minutes before placing them in the oven. Bake according to the recipe.

Storing baked sausage rolls

Have you already baked your sausage rolls and are wondering how to keep them fresh?

• I wrap my puff pastry rolls in aluminum foil and store them at room temperature for 2-3 days (if it’s not too hot).
• If you used homemade or refrigerated puff pastry, you can freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Reheating sausage rolls

The puff pastry will be crispy and flaky when fresh, it will get a bit soft when stored. But it’s easy to get them crispy again!

They need to be at room temperature. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 180°C/350°F for about 10-15 minutes.

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4.22 from 19 votes

Dutch saucijzenbroodjes (sausage rolls)

Everyone loves a sausage full of flavor wrapped in buttery puff pastry. They make a perfect snack, or you can even eat them for lunch or serve them at picnics and other parties (especially if you make them smaller).

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients

Sausage Mix

• 500 grams minced beef
• 1 egg
• 6 tbsp bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp coarse mustard
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 0.25 tsp speculaas spice mix
• 0.5 tsp nutmeg
• 0.5 tsp salt

Other

• 10 square slices of puff pastry 12cm/4.7inch
• 1 egg yolk whisked with a teaspoon of milk

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

• Take the puff pastry slices out of the freezer and let them thaw.
• Knead all the sausage ingredients together in a large bowl to make your own seasoned ground beef mixture.
• Divide the mixture in 10 equal portions and make them in a sausage shape, about the length of the puff pastry sheets.
• Place the defrosted puff pastry sheets with the sticky side up and place the sausage in the center of the sheet.
• Fold the pastry over. Use a fork to press all the way around to close the sausage roll.
• Place the sausage rolls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and give them an egg wash with the beaten egg yolk. Let them rest for half an hour and brush them again with the egg yolk.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C/375°F (conventional oven) for 30 minutes until golden brown.

A slagroomtaart is probably the most popular Dutch birthday cake there is. Want to make your own Dutch cream cake? It is so easy! In this recipe I will tell you exactly how to bake the cake, fill it and decorate it.

Slagroomtaart recipe

I made my first cream cake in 2015, several years ago now. Its recipe has not been published on the blog until today, but has been in my first baking book since 2016. I have been asked for my cream cake recipe quite often.

Fortunately, I know that many home bakers had my book at home and could just make the cake, but now it’s time to share this delicious cream cake on the blog!

About the cake base

The cake base of a slagroomtaart is very light and airy, we also call it ‘biscuit’ or ‘kapsel’. Think sponge cake or chiffon cake. you could use some lemon zest or spices to have some extra flavor in the cake.​

We use this cake base for a lot of Dutch cake recipes, but the cream cake is definitely the most popular one. In this video, you can see how soft and fluffy the cream cake is:

 

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A post shared by Laura Kieft | In Laura’s Bakery (@inlaurasbakery)

Dutch Cream Cake Filling

The base of the cream cake is filled with jam and whipped cream. Optionally, a syrup can be brushed on the cake layers to moisten the cake or add flavor. If you make the cake several days in advance, there is a chance that the cake will get a little dry. The syrup prevents this.

When I make this whipped cream cake for special occasions, I usually make it the night before and don’t use the trembler syrup. Usually friends and family eat the whole cake and there are no leftovers.

And then a little bit more about the cake filling, the jam I mean. If you want to go for the classic flavors, you choose strawberry jam. For the cake in the picture, I had chosen a jam made from several kinds of red fruits, but you can basically use any jam you like.

For the whipped cream I use just normal whipping cream as there aren’t a lot of options in the Netherlands, but if you have access to heavy cream that’s an even better option.

Decorating the Cake

To decorate the cake, use hazelnut bresilienne (also known as nougatine). These are toasted pieces of hazelnut with a caramelized layer of sugar around them. Not only beautiful for decoration, but also incredibly delicious. For a change of pace, you can substitute other types of nuts for the crunchy topping. Pecans, for example, are a good substitute.

Another way to decorate a whipped cream cake is to pipe swirls of whipped cream onto the top of the cake and then stick pieces of fresh fruit into them. Kiwi or tangerine slices really belong here. For this version I used kiwi and strawberry, delicious!

Optionally, you can use chocolate decorations (store bought or homemade) to decorate the cake. Or you can order a festive and edible photo print online and stick it on the cake.

How do I cover the cake with whipped cream?

After you’ve filled and stacked the cake layers, it’s time to decorate the sides and top of the cream pie with whipped cream. You can use a piping bag or a spatula, whichever comes easiest. Use the spatula to spread the whipped cream evenly on the outside of the cake. Be sure to save some whipped cream for the swirls on top of the cake.

For the side of the cake, it can be helpful to use a spatula in conjunction with a rotary spatula. You hold the spatula in one place while you gently rotate the turntable.

Finally, decorate the top of the cake with swirls of whipped cream. Fill a pastry bag with the whipped cream and choose a nozzle of your choice (I used a large star nozzle) and hold your piping bag straight over the cake as you start to spray the tufts.

Freezing a cream cake

I do not recommend freezing a cream cake. The whipped cream will dry out and won’t taste as good. However, you can make the sponge layers well in advance and freeze them in an airtight container for up to three months. You can also make the jam and nougatine well in advance and store them until you are ready to make the cake.

That way, you have the cake pieces ready to go, and all you have to do is whip the cream and assemble the cake. It saves time!

Hazelnut bresilienne is nothing more than a delicious caramelized hazelnut crunch which is very easy to make. In The Netherlands this hazelnut crunch is also known as ‘nougatine’. It is used for cake decorating, ice cream topping and more.

What’s it called?

To be honest, I had to do some research on the name of this recipe. I’m Dutch and in The Netherlands these candied hazelnut pieces are called ‘nougatine’. I soon found out that this name is not very common in other countries. Nougatine is also a nut-based bark made with caramel (in The Netherlands as well). But: we like to chop those bars into small pieces and use the crispy caramel nuts in other recipes as a tasty texture.

A more common name is hazelnut bresilienne, but in the end it doesn’t really matter how you call this caramelized hazelnut crunch. It’s delicious and perfect to use in all sorts of recipes.

How to use hazelnut bresilienne?

There are many uses for this recipe, but cake decorating is the most common one for me. It’s used for almost every Dutch ‘slagroomtaart’ (cream cake), it’s added on the sides of the cream cake. The crispy nut addition makes the cake so good!

You also see nougatine as an ice cream topping for soft serve here in The Netherlands. But you could add it at home to a scoop of ice cream as well. The crunchy touch to the ice cream is delicious. One last idea: roll your homemade chocolate truffles in some caramelized hazelnut pieces.

There are many more uses for hazelnut bresilienne, like on top of desserts. It’s a perfect crunchy base for a lot of pastries.

Fun fact: If you grind the caramelized hazelnuts completely, you will have homemade hazelnut praline.

Making your own candied hazelnut crunch

Nougatine is very easy to make and, most importantly, incredibly delicious. It is best to make a large batch right away, as it will keep for a long time. This way, you can regularly brighten up a dessert with a wonderfully delightful crunch.

The advantage of homemade hazelnut bresilienne is that you control the ratio of sugar to hazelnuts. I often find that store-bought nougatine contains too much sugar, while you really want the fresh taste of hazelnut. Another advantage of making your own nougatine is that you can use any kind of nut!

Of course, the classic hazelnut nougatine tastes best with a cream cake, hazelnut meringue or mocha cake, but you can think of many other cakes or desserts where a variation with pistachios or pecans, for example, would taste delicious.

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5 from 8 votes

Crunchy hazelnut bresilienne recipe

Hazelnut bresilienne is nothing more than a delicious caramelized hazelnut crunch which is very easy to make. In The Netherlands this hazelnut crunch is also known as ‘nougatine’. It is used for cake decorating, ice cream topping and more.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Servings: 200 grams

Ingredients

• 100 grams hazelnuts shelled and unroasted
• 80 grams granulated sugar
• 30 ml water

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

• Toast the hazelnuts in a preheated oven at 175°C/345°F (convention oven) until golden brown, it will need about 8 minutes.
• Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and heat over low to medium heat. The sugar should be completely covered by the water. Let the mixture heat until it gradually changes color. Do not stir during this process!
• When the caramel is fully browned, turn off the heat and quickly add the oven toasted hazelnuts. Stir them into the caramel and pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave to cool.
• Finely chop the nougatine pieces in a food processor.

This easy recipe for cream cheese frosting is perfect for a carrot cake, red velvet cake, and really any kind of cake or pastry. What about cinnamon rolls with a creamy layer of homemade cream cheese icing?

Making Cream Cheese Frosting

The first time I made my own cream cheese frosting was, of course, for a carrot cake. I was an instant fan of this delicious cream cheese icing and use it regularly for all kinds of other recipes.

This frosting is made with a few simple ingredients: a combination of butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and, of course, cream cheese. The butter adds firmness and the vanilla extract and powdered sugar add flavor and sweetness.

Level of sweetness

I intentionally didn’t make the frosting too sweet, so you can make it a sweeter frosting if you like by adding more powdered sugar. If you add more icing sugar, the structure will be somewhat firmer.

This recipe is my absolute favorite frosting and a lot of my family and friends really love it as well. I recently made red velvet cupcakes for them with a nice swirl on top and they were gone before I knew it.

Cream cheese frosting as a filling

As you can see from the carrot cake in the photo, you can use this frosting to fill a layered cake. If your frosting is still a little on the soft side after you make it, just put it in the refrigerator for a while until it is firm enough. You can also pipe swirls of cream cheese frosting, but not as high or tight as you are used to with my buttercream recipe.

I like to use room temperature butter for this recipe as it’s easier to mix it until light and creamy. I do use cold cream cheese, because it will make sure the frosting isn’t getting too thin. The brand of cream cheese I use is Philadelphia, I like the structure and it works every time. Make sure you use a full-fat cream cheese, I noticed the cheaper ones are an other type of cream cheese and are often too thin and watery.

BAKING TIP: Read more about the difference between cream cheese frosting and buttercream.

How to combine easy cream cheese frosting

I already named a few of my favorite recipes which are going really well with this frosting recipe. I will make a small list of baked goods that are perfect for this frosting. And after that I will list some ingredients that pair very good with the frosting as well.

​Recipes that go well with cream cheese frosting:

• Carrot cake (cupcakes)
• Red velvet cake (and cupcakes)
• Cinnamon rolls
• Spice cake
• Pumpkin cake

Ingredients that pair well with cream cheese frosting:

• Fresh fruit
• Chocolate
• Spices (like cinnamon, gingerbread spice mix, etc.)

As you can see, this frosting is perfect for fresh and fruity summer recipes, but also for the warmer flavors of fall. That makes it the best cream cheese frosting recipe ever if you ask me.