Category: DESSERTS

Banket – Dutch Pastry with Almond Filling

This month I am bringing you a family recipe and digging into my heritage, a family recipe from my Dutch Grandmother.
This wonderful flaky almond filled pastry is something that I grew up eating every Christmas. As with most food and family recipes…it always brings back such good memories of family and holidays. In Grand Rapids and really most of west Michigan it seems every one who is Dutch (which is many) has their own version or recipe for banket (pronounced bahn–KET) with a flaky buttery crust and almond paste (not marzipan) rolled throughout, not too sweet and perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.


I have been wanting a chance to make it with my mother and document it for the blog, but she lives in Michigan and with me in Florida for the last 21 years it just never happened. When my parents visit in February she will bring me some almond paste and one year she did show me how to assemble it, but the filling and dough was already made.

I had my sister mail me grandma’s banket recipe (my mom could never find hers). I’ve had it for awhile but was always a bit timid to try making it on my own, besides it makes a lot and we don’t usually have many people around for Christmas any more down here in Florida. Not this year I decided to put on my big girl panties and try making it all by myself.

It is such a family tradition, my sister makes it with her daughters-in-law, and makes it her way. I never was interested in making it when my grandmother was alive…I just enjoyed eating all her wonderful baking. She was the best. My mom learned from my dad’s mom, both his parents are Dutch. My mom’s dad was Dutch, but her mom was Welsh, so she learned how to make it from my grandma Bouwman, my dad’s mom.
This was her actual recipe such as it was, like most of her recipes: my input is in blue after calling my mom several times while trying to make it.

Grandma Bouwman’s Banket
Crust:
1 pound butter/oleo, soften at room temp (I used cold butter, like you would making pie crust)
4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar (optional) I skipped the sugar
3/4 cup milk – make sure it’s cold
Mix well until crumbly, add milk. Form into dough using fork, divide into eight balls.
Roll out each ball to form rectangle, put almond filling on crust.

My take on this: I used a pastry cutter like you would when making pie crust, cutting in the butter until you get a crumbly oatmeal-like texture. Use cold butter and cold milk or water so it will be nice and flaky…form into dough try not to over-work the dough. After talking to my mother she said another old recipe she had has you refrigerate the dough and filling overnight. My personal tip would be to form it into the eight balls, and then flatten them first before refrigerating them.

Filling:
1 pound almond paste (2 cups)
2 cups sugar (you could probably use a little less, but I use a scant 2 cups)
3 eggs (I think next time I will us 2 eggs)
Mix well, put in fridge to harden. Add flour to make it less sticky when putting it on crust.
My take on this: I had a block of almond paste that mom brought down from Michigan. They can get it every where up there…if you can’t find almond paste, you can make your own almond paste try this one here
My mom told me to beat the eggs and sugar first then add the almond paste after breaking it into crumbles.

Bake 10 minutes at 425° then 15 minutes at 350°
I found I had to bake this longer. If you want to bake it like a pie you can bake it high heat for 15 minutes then turn it down and bake another 15 – 20 minutes until golden brown. Make sure your dough is nice and cold. I would brush an egg wash on before baking next time, I didn’t on these and they came out fine, but sometimes my grand mother would.

This was the almond paste mixture after it was in the refrigerator overnight.

When I was trying to mix the almond paste my mom suggested to beat the eggs first with a hand mixer, so I did, I think I did it too much and it became a little frothy, then I added the crumbled almond paste and sugar. I think I should of added the sugar with the eggs, then added the almond paste. Mine turned out fine, but it was different from my mother’s. I think 2 eggs would work fine in it. I didn’t add any extra flour because it was very spreadable this way…maybe because of the three eggs. Maybe I should stick to it this way, my mom would spread it with her hands and flour her fingers, and place little pieces around all over the dough. It was sticky to work with!

I just used a rubber spatula to spread it on. My mom cautioned me not to have too much filling do it won’t ooze out on the baking pan. She said she added too much last year and she didn’t like the way it turned out.

You are supposed to roll the dough out into rectangles, but I got it as close as I could, and they still turned out even without smooth edges. You can cut and paste it, the dough seems to handle it well.

To keep it a family tradition I got my daughter involved…of course she asked to roll some of her own…so I had to stand back and let her do it!!
And she did great! Of course I have such a small area it’s so difficult to have two people in the kitchen at the same time. It was also 80° out and seemed very hot with to oven on, I know my grandma and mom didn’t have to deal with weather like that in Michigan at Christmas time! 🙂

The dough is rolled out thin sorta like a pie dough would be…dusting the work surface and rolling pin with flour as you go. After you roll up the filling inside the logs, seal it with water. Since I used a little more filling than my mother did I made sure it was sealed well and gave it a little pinch too.

I have baked the “logs” that my mom gave me (they freeze really well) at 350° or 375° for 30 – 35 minutes. I didn’t know the directions at that time, so I think you can do it that way without having to start out baking it at high heat and turning it down. Just keep any eye on it until its a nice golden brown.

If you don’t have a stoneware baking pan or pizza stone, line your cookie sheet with parchment paper so it browns up nicely. I didn’t use an egg-wash in this batch.

…so good and reminds me of my mom’s…

…they were nice and flaky, the almond filling didn’t ooze out (of course I like it oozing out a little when it caramelizes up a little) .

It is so good for breakfast the next morning, not too sweet, delicate flavor.


…I hope they enjoy it as much as we do…


…enjoy Cultural Connection!

CHILE CORNBREAD CASSEROLE ~ CLASSIC GOOD EATS

It’s not often I use a box mix for anything, but my ex-MIL gave me this recipe for cornbread years and years ago and it’s a no fail.  I added the chiles a few years ago and it has become a family favorite.

CHILE CORNBREAD CASSEROLE
15.25 oz. can white corn
4 oz. can chopped green chiles, drained REALLY well
8.5 oz. can cream corn
8 oz. sour cream
1 large egg
1 box JIFFY (small blue box) Corn Muffin Mix
1/2 cup melted butter

  • Mix all together by hand.
  • Pour into greased 9×9 pan.
  • Bake 45 minutes at 350°.
  • If you are doubling the recipe, use a 13×9 baking pan and bake at 350° for 1 hour or golden brown and set.

BANANA SPICE CAKE

BANANA SPICE CAKE
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cups sour milk
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour, sifted
2 small VERY RIPE bananas, well mashed
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup maple syrup

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • GREASE loaf pan or 8×8 baking dish.*
  • With a wooden spoon blend the butter, sugar and eggs.
  • Blend in bananas until well mixed.
  • Sift dry ingredients together.
  • Add dry ingredients and mix well with swift strokes.
  • Add vanilla and raisins.
  • Bake 45-55 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
  • Immediately invert on to serving plate.
  • Wait 15 minutes for cooling.
  • Warm the maple syrup in the microwave for 30 seconds.
  • Using a toothpick, pierce holes into the top of the cake.
  • Drizzle maple syrup over the cake and allow it to drip down the sides.

*Works really well in today’s decorative bundt style pans.

Recipe (page 142) adapted from ‘A Thousand Ways to Please a Husband’ by Louise Bennett Weaver and Helen Cowles LeCron

I seriously adapted this one into a modern easy to use recipe.

APPLE RHUBARB BROWN BETTY

2 to 3 stalks rhubarb, trimmed well (3 Cups)
1 small loaf white bread (6 ounces), crusts removed (3+ cups)
1 stick butter, melted, plus 2 tablespoons sliced thin
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into thin wedges
1/2 cup + 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cut rhubarb into 1/4-inch-thick cubes.
  • Tear bread into 1/2-inch pieces.
  • Spray a shallow 1-quart baking dish with PURE.
  • In medium bowl, combine melted butter and bread pieces; cover bottom of dish with 1 to 1 1/2 cups bread pieces.
  • In another bowl, combine rhubarb, apple, 1/2 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice.   Grate zest; add to mixture.
  • Let sit until juices begin to run, about 5 minutes.
  • Spread half of rhubarb mixture over bread pieces.
  • Sprinkle with 1 cup more bread pieces.
  • Add remaining rhubarb mixture and juices; cover with remaining bread pieces.
  • Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar.
  • Dot with 2 tablespoons butter slices.
  • Cover; bake 25 to 35 minutes on the middle rack, until rhubarb is tender.
  • Increase heat to 400 degrees; uncover, and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until rhubarb is soft, top is crusty, and juices begin to bubble at edges of baking dish.
  • Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cream Cheese Cookies–Save Room for Dessert

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with family and friends.
White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cream Cheese Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 oz bag of white chocolate chips
2 cups macadamia nuts
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside until later.
  • Beat the cream cheese and the butter on medium speed until creamy and light, should take about 2 minutes.
  • Add the brown sugar and then mix well.
  • Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and add the egg and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
  • Slowly, add the flour mixture a little at a time, until well combined.
  • Fold in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
  • I suggest placing the dough in the freezer or refrigerator for a few hours. In my experience the cookies come out better. But, this step isn’t necessary. Roll dough into walnut size balls then place on a greased cookie sheet.
  • Bake for 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden in your pre-heated oven. Let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely

ALMOND WALNUT DANISH

ALMOND WALNUT DANISH
1 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons yeast
4 eggs, beaten
7 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup + walnut crumbles

  • In a saucepan melt butter.
  • Add milk and water whisking until smooth consistency and JUST boiling.
  • Cool 5-10 minutes so you don’t kill the yeast.
  • Add the sugar, salt and yeast to form a sponge like blob.
  • Add the eggs until uniform consistency.
  • In a mixer with a dough hook attached, combine flour and yeast mixture.
  • Knead well. Put in refrigerator for at least several hours, but overnight is better.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Roll a ball of dough the size of a golf ball into a rope and coil into a circle. Make sure the center is thinner than the outer edges to hold the filling in. Sometimes I prefer squares, but you just have to work with your dough after you have it coiled.
  • Fill with a heaping tablespoon of filling per danish (recipe below).
  • Let rise an hour in a warm place.
  • Bake 15 minutes.
  • Frost with drizzle.

ALMOND DRIZZLE
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoons butter, melted

  • Whisk together butter, milk, almond extract and orange peel until well blended.
  • Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing until desired consistency.
  • Drizzle all over danish, sprinkling with walnut pieces.

CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE BRAID

Taste and Create was started as a food event by Nicole from For the Love of Food.  The whole purpose of Taste and Create was, and has been, and continues to be to create a community of bloggers who test each others’ recipes and share links. The participants of the event are paired together and try a new recipe from one another’s blog.
This month I was paired with ANGRY ASIAN CREATIONS. I love being paired with someone I’ve never been paired with before I inevitably learn sooooooo much, and find great new recipes.  I chose her SWEET BRAIDED BREAD recipe which she adapted from KING ARTHUR FLOUR. I chose it because I was having a serious chocolate craving at the time and it seemed holidayish too.  I used a cream cheese (honey nut) chocolate chip filling.

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons cocoa
2 large eggs
1 (12 oz) bag semi sweet chocolate chips

  • Preheat oven to 375F.  
  • Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, mix together butter and peanut butter until well blended.
  • Add sugar and brown sugar and cream well.
  • Gradually beat in flour mixture.
  • Fold in chocolate chips.
  • Drop dough from rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheets.
  • Bake 10-13 minutes.
  • Allow cookies o cool on the sheet for 2 minutes.
  • Remove cookies to a cooling rack. 

    SLOW COOKER APPLE SAUCE

    Slow Cooker Apple Sauce
    8 cups diced apples (peeled and cored)
    1 cup golden raisins
    1 cup light brown sugar
    1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
    1 dash freshly grated nutmeg
    4 tablespoons unsalted butter
    1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
    2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

    • Put all the ingredient in a slow cooker and mix thoroughly.  
    • Cover and cook on high until apples are tender, about 3 hours.
    • Add raisins last hour.
    • This produces a  yummy salted-cinnamon-vanilla-caramel sauce that coats the apples and will thicken slightly upon cooling.  
    • Cool uncovered for a thicker sauce.

    Homemade Mounds Bars–Save Room for Dessert

    Homemade Mounds Candy Bars
    7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
    2 cups powered sugar
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1 (14 ounce) bag flaked coconut
    24 ounces dark chocolate chips
    • Mix the first four ingredients together. The mixture will be very firm.
    • Form into desired shape (I formed mine into an oval shape). Place on cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap.
    • Refrigerate for about an hour.
    • Melt chocolate chips in the microwave on 10 second intervals in a microwave safe bowl.
    • Dip coconut bars into melted chocolate. After covering each bar with chocolate I placed them on the end of a fork and tapped them on the side of the bowl to remove the excess chocolate.
    • Place each bar on wax paper and allow chocolate to harden.
    I got 25 candy bars out of this mixture.
    Please come visit me at Paper Plates and China

    Mexican Cookies – Cooking With Chaya

    I had no idea what I wanted to share with you but after making these simple cookies, my path was obvious.  This chocolate cookie fills your mouth with the sense of chocolate melting.  The chocolate is not melting but that cookie could have fooled me.

    The secret of this cookie is the cayenne and I would put in, more than I did.  It needed a real kick.  On the other hand, if it is only a chocolate cookie, you want, don’t worry about the amount of cayenne.  I would make this, at any time, without the heat.
    Mexican Chocolate Cookies (adapted from Cooking Light)

    • 5 ounces bittersweet (60 to 70 percent) chocolate, coarsely chopped
    • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
    • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt 
    • Dash of black pepper
    • Dash of ground red pepper
    • 1 1/4 cups sugar 
    • 1/4 cup butter, softened 
    • 1 large egg 
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
    • Cooking spray 

    Preparation

      • Preheat oven to 350°.
      • Place chocolate in a small glass bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until smooth. ( I melt for 25 seconds and check it.  I would be afraid to go with a minute on High.) Cool to room temperature. (What a pleasure not to use a saucepan and to clean it.)
      • Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through red pepper); stir with a whisk.
      • Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add egg; beat well. Add cooled chocolate and vanilla; beat just until blended. 
      • Add flour mixture; beat just until blended. 
      • Drop dough by level tablespoons (I made teaspoon sized cookies and baked for 8 minutes.) 2 inches apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. 
      • Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until almost set. Remove from oven. Cool on pans 2 minutes or until set. 
      • Remove from pans; cool completely on a wire rack.
          Cooking Light – DECEMBER 2007




          Fire Day Friday: Peanut Butter Pie with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream

          Yes, yes, I know.. this has nothing to do with grilling… but I will admit to you that I completely forgot that it was my turn to post today, so I’m giving you the same post I have up on my site.  I figured almost everyone would be able to forgive me if I could give you such a great recipe you forget it’s not done over fire 🙂 

          I’ve been wanting to make this pie since I first saw it on the Taste of Home website.  The problem is, if I make a pie, it’s just Chris and I and… well… frankly… we’ll eat the whole thing.  No, not in one sitting, but still, we end up eating a whole pie.  I feel bad that in 3 or 4 days (or less depending on the size of each slice), I’ve eaten half a pie.. it just feels wrong (yet oh so right) – so, I don’t make a lot of pies, hence why it took me so long to make this 🙂 

          The nice thing about the holiday season is that I don’t guilt myself about eating half a pie in a matter of days.  So, when Chris suggested making a dessert of some kind for Thanksgiving, I immediately said.. Peanut Butter Pie!!!  Mmmmmmmm!!!  He happily agreed. 

          Now, had I been thinking proactively, I probably would have added some vanilla bean into the pie mixture, but for some reason I had it in my mind to make vanilla bean whipped cream and didn’t think past that.  That’s ok, the pie was incredibly fantastic and the homemade whipped cream was just the icing on the cake… or the whipped cream on the pie in this case, I guess you could say.  The pie is simple, the whipped cream is simple, there is no excuse NOT to make this.

          Peanut Butter Pie with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
          Pie recipe courtesy Taste of Home, Whipped cream recipe created by Jenn’s Food Journey
          Printable Recipe 
          Ingredients:
          3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
          4 oz cream cheese, softened
          1 cup powdered sugar
          1 (8oz) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
          1 9-inch graham cracker pie crust
          For the Whipped Cream –
          1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
          1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
          3-4 Tablespoons powdered sugar (you may want to use more or less depending on taste and consistency you desire)

          Directions:
          In a large bowl, beat the peanut butter, cream cheese, and 1 cup powdered sugar together until smooth.  Fold in whipped topping; pour into pie crust.  Chill for at least 4 hours.

          To make the whipped cream – add the whipping cream and vanilla bean to a bowl.  Beat in the powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time until you get the right flavor and consistency.  Serve on top of pie.  Refrigerate any leftovers.  Enjoy!