The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Traditional Dutch New Year's Eve cookies

freerk's picture
freerk

Traditional Dutch New Year's Eve cookies

For New Year's Eve I decided to share this wonderful traditional Dutch cookie-recipe.

 

Up to this day people in the northern and eastern regions of The Netherlands eat this waferthin cookie for NewYear's Eve.

 

They come in two varieties: flat and rolled up.

 

The flat ones you eat the 31st of December, the rolled up ones you can eat starting the 1st of January.

 

The flat wafers represent the old year that has fully unfolded. The rolled up wafers stand for the new year, that still has all of its secrets rolled up in it self

 

 

This recipe yields at least twice the amount shown in the picture.

 

To make the cookies waferthin you will need a WAFER IRON.

TRADITIONAL DUTCH NEW YEAR'S EVE COOKIES

500 grams AP flour

450 grams white caster sugar

30 grams of vanillasugar

5 eggs

200 grams unsalted melted butter

lukewarm water if needed


Combine the eggs, caster sugar and vanilla sugar in a large coleander.

Mix at high speed over a pan of hot water ("au bain marie") until the eggs turns slightly whiter and the mixture is nice and frothy.

Take the coleander away from the hot water pan. Sift the flour into the mixture. Add the melted butter little by little to form a smooth batter, about the consistency of yoghurt. The batter should "ooze" from the spoon.

Add some lukewarm water if needed to get the right consistency.

Spoon a dollop of batter on to the heated wafer iron and press hard for about 8-10 seconds. The wafer should come out nice and golden brown.

When making flat wafers: leave on a rack to cool.

When making rolled up wafers: roll the wafer onto a fingerthick wooden ladle or thin rolling pin. Let them set for about 20 seconds and transfer to a cooling rack.

 

Wishing all of my TFL-friends a healthy, inspiring and positive 2011! Thank you for all the feedback on my posts. I hope you will all continue to make me a better home-baker in the coming year!

 

Warm greetings from Amsterdam,

 

Freerk

 

 

Comments

EvaB's picture
EvaB

cookie some friends of my mother's took to my brother when he was in the hospital after his accident. They were baked on a thing that looks sort of like an old fashioned waffle iron, but much thinner. They wer rolled and filled with swetened whipped cream, I think they called them krumcakes or something like that, I have the pan my brother bought several years later and gve to mom, but we never used it, not having the recipe for the cakes, so think I shall have to dig out the pan and try it with your cookie recipe.

I like the symbolisim too, very neat explanation for the year, unrolled and rolled! LOL

freerk's picture
freerk

Hey Eva,

They could very well be Scandinavian. My guess is they originate in the north-west of Germany, and all the regions around there have some sort of variation on it.

These are not eaten with cream or any other filling, at least not on New Year's Eve, but all through the year you can find them filled with wipped cream or custard inside (we call them "oublies" here in that case) on fairs and markets around the region.

If you have the wafer iron: dig it up and try it out for once; it's a wonderful easy to bake cookie (great for the kids to help out making the dough and rolling them up) and the smell is divine, very festive and homely: every one will love it :-)

X Freerk

EvaB's picture
EvaB

Freerk, but it will be just me and the mice (oops the cats) to eat them just now. No kids at home and no grandkids, so will make them up when there is better weather and my kid and her hubby can visit.

I spend a lot of time alone, as DH (dear hubby in computerese) works out as a first aid attendant in the oil field. I spend every month 50% of it alone, with maybe a visit from my DD and a quick trip to see me when he gases up, mostly once a week. So do a lot of computer stuff, and right now working on the room, got the floor finished today, I had to wash it and spray seal it, now its waiting for the finishing, then I can start movign my sewing stuff into it, and my library on the other end. Its a big room.

Jo_Jo_'s picture
Jo_Jo_

Krumkake.....  so very very good!  My mouth is watering and my memories of childhood with my Bestemor.  Thank you for posting this, just makes me warm all over!

Joanne