Dutch Recipe: Banket Staaf

If you’ve been around at all then you know that I love all things foreign so having a Dutchman for a boyfriend is right up my ally. 

Now I get to combine two things I love…cooking and foreign things. 

 

I have made  a couple Dutch recipes over the past few weeks and I am going to share a super easy and super yummy one. 

Dutch have a huge sweet tooth and so mainly the Dutch recipes I will feature going forward are going to be sweet desserts and/or what they would call snacks.  Also, Hendrik being raised Dutch really won’t eat much Dutch table food so that’s another reason for the sweets. 

After making my first recipe, oranjekoek, I had some left over almond paste and Roelie, Hendrik’s mom recommended I make Banket Staaf.  The organjekoek (orange cake) was my original recipe that I was trying to replicate from a fantastic bakery in Holland.  Mine didn’t turn out quite as good as I would have liked but his Heit (dad) loved it so I guess I did something right.  I was in a mad rush when I made the oranjekoek and totally forgot to take pictures but the next time I make I will try to remember.  Hopefully!!! 

 

Ok so moving on.  Banket staaf is so good and so simple.  It is the perfect dessert with a little whip cream or a midday snack just plain. 

 

 

Banket Staaf

 

Ingredients:

1 box of puff pastry- mine contained 2

Almond paste – I made my own almond paste…recipe below

 

 

Directions:

1.       Thaw puff pastry according to directions

2.       Once pastry is thawed lay on cookie sheet opened up and put slices of almond paste inside

3.       Fold pastry back up and bake according to pastry instructions

4.       Let cool and enjoy for days to come

 

See what did I tell you…EASY!

Homemade almond paste

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups blanched almonds
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 egg white
1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:
1. To blanch almonds take raw almonds with skin and put into boiling water for approximately 30 seconds
2. Strain and peel skins off
3. Once all skins are off put into food processor and process finely
4. Once processes in a large mixing bowl put almonds and the remainder of the ingredients
5. Blend and mix until smooth
6. Form into a roll on wax paper, cover and refrigerate up to 2 weeks