Dutch recipes

and other sites with Christmas recipes.





I never made a 3, 4 or more course Christmas dinner. I just do not want to be in the kitchen all day, I rather be with my family. So I make a buffet. A lot of the things I can make a few days (weeks) before Christmas and store it in the freezer. Especially for the children this is nice, because they do not have to sit at the dining table for hours, and they can just pick out what they really like.

Also I remember a year when our girls were younger and they were in that phase of eating almost nothing. We were just the four of us at 'first Christmas day' (remember: we have 2 Christmas days in the Netherlands).
And what did we have for Christmas dinner?? Pancakes!
Well, at least the girls loved it! (and in the evening when they were asleep we had some French cheese etc.)





On Christmas mornings we like to have an extensive breakfast. I set the table with candles and a special (Christmas) tablecloth. I make fresh little croissants in the oven, boiled eggs, fresh orange juice, coffee, tea etc. On of the things we also like to eat is "Kerstbrood" (with 'real' butter!):

Kerstbrood (Christmas Loaf)

Ingredients:
500 gr. of self rising flour
1 teaspoon salt
200 gr. white castor sugar
1 sachet of vanilla
sugar
half (miniature) bottle of rum essence
half a (miniature) bottle of almond essence
2 teaspoons rasped lemon peel
half a teaspoon (powder) nutmeg
2 eggs
150 gr. molten butter
250 gr. quark (a type of yogurt)
200 gr. raisins
100 gr. coarsely chopped almonds
50 gr. chopped candied lemon peel.

To decorate : molten butter and powdered sugar (if desired).

Instructions:
Sieve the self rising flour and the salt together with the castor sugar and the vanilla sugar in a bowl. Add and mix the rum - and almond essence, the rasped lemon peel and the nutmeg. Add the eggs, the molten butter, the quark and the remaining ingredients. Knead the mix to a cohesive lump of dough. Butter the baking dish and fill with the dough. Put the dish on a wire rack in the oven, bake until done to a light brown color. Brush immediately after removal from the oven with the molten butter and sprinkle with powder sugar.

Baking times :
In conventional oven :
preheat to 175 degrees (Centigrade), put wire rack on first level from the bottom and leave for 70-80 minutes at 175 degrees. Leave another 10 minutes in the oven after switching off.

In Hot air type of oven :
70-80 minutes at 150-175 degrees. Leave 10 minutes in oven after switching off.

In Combi Microwave oven :
Preheat to 175 degrees, wire rack on first level from bottom. Bake for 45 minutes at 175 degrees + microwave at 180 Watt.





And when my family comes to visit (second Christmas day), we are gathered around the Christmas tree. We have coffee and one by one the presents which are under the tree are unpacked.
One of our favorites to eat while having coffee is "Kerstkrans" (warm from the oven):

Kerstkrans (Christmas Ring)

Ingredients:
Puff pastry:
1 cup of flour
½ cup butter or margarine
water to mix
salt

For the filling= Almond paste :
3/4 cup shelled blanched and peeled almonds
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
the peel of 1 lemon
5 candied cherries

To decorate :
Thin lemon icing
apricot preserve
candied red and green cherries
candied orange peel
candied lemon peel
a red ribbon, holly

Instructions:
Make the filling preferably at least 1 month in advance. Store in jar.

Grind the almonds very finely, add the sugar and the egg, also the grated peel. Mix well. Grind again. Store. When necessary knead through and add some water if paste is too stiff. Make the puff-pastry your favorite way. Roll out into long strip of 1/8 inch (4mm) thick, 4 inch (10 cm) wide. Brush your baking tray with water. Take a pan cover that will nearly fit the baking tray. Put it in the middle and trace the circumference, this will guide you when forming the ring. Shape almond paste into roll of nearly the same length. Press 10 halved candied cherries at equal intervals into the almond paste roll. They must not be visible any more. Now place the almond roll on the dough, a little above the center.

Wet the lower part of the dough with water and wrap it loosely around the almond paste roll. Put it on the baking tray : the 'ring' will guide you. Seal the join well and turn the roll until the join faces down. Form a ring by joining the two ends together with some water. Brush with beaten egg. Allow to stand for 15 minutes in a hot oven (450 degrees Fahrenheit) until golden brown. When done, coat the ring thinly with preserve and when still HOT, coat with thin icing (with a few drops of lemon juice). Cool. When firm, take from the tray and cool on wire rack. Decorate with halved candied cherries, orange peel and lemon peel cut in leaf shapes. Tie a ribbon around the ring where the two ends meet and decorate with holly.

***
I never made one of those recipes myself.
I usually buy the Christmas loaf and ring at the bakery!





Christmas in the Netherlands:
INDEX

Back to our
Homepage

Terug naar:
Voorpagina
Index