Banquet Roll (Banketstaaf)

A traditional Dutch seasonal pastry, from a fusion of traditional Dutch spice filling and French Mille Feuille pastry, developed circa 1850 when the French invaded the Netherlands.

Banketstaaf

Ingredients

• Puff Pastry dough (Bladerdeeg)
• Almond Paste (Amandelspijs)
• Egg yolk
• Milk
• Water
• Apricot jam
• Candied cherries

Prepare 250g Puff Pastry Dough (Bladerdeeg)

Bladerdeeg, known in English as "Puff Pastry", and in French as "Mille Feuilles" is the basis for all kinds of festive baking.

Ingredients

• 500g flour
• 100g butter for dough
• 10g salt
• 275g cold water
• 350g butter for layering

(yield abt 1kg bladerdeeg)

Procedure

• Cut 100g butter into small chunks
• Mix all ingredients except 350g butter in a bowl
  • Using an electric handmixer with dough hooks
  • Mix quickly, and not too long, or the dough will become tough instead of flaky
• Knead briefly to ensure everything is mixed
• Roll out to about 20cm square
• Place 350g butter in centre of dough
• Fold over edges of dough to envelop the butter
• Roll out to 20cm square
• Let the dough package relax in the fridge about 30m

• Roll out to 20cm by 80cm
• Fold over into quarters (back to 20cm square)
• Rotate dough 1/4 turn
• Repeat (Roll, Fold, Rotate)
  • This produces 4x4 = 16 layers
• Let the dough package relax in the fridge for an hour

• Repeat the above steps two more times
  • This produces 16x16x16 = 4096 layers

Based on the instructions from Cees Holtkamp on YouTube:

YouTube: Cees Holtkamp: Bladerdeeg

Prepare 350g Almond Paste (Amandelspijs)

A Dutch confection used in festive baked goods. From my mom's favourite cook book that's older than I am.

Pages 330-331 from the Dutch cookbook from Margriet, circa 1954.

Ingredients

• 125 grams almonds
• 125 grams sugar
• 1 large egg
• Some lemon zest

(yields 250g almond paste)

Preparation

• In a saucepan, cover almonds with cold water, bring to a boil
• Remove from heat as soon as the water boils, let cool
• Peel the skins from the almonds
• Grind the almonds in an almond mill (or food processor)
• Add the remaining ingredients
• Re-grind the combined mass (or re-process to a paste)
• Place the so-called "spice" in a sealed container with a damp cloth, leave overnight or for several days

Creating the Banketstaaf

Pages 330-331 from the Dutch cookbook from Margriet, circa 1954.

• Roll the dough to a thickness of 2-3mm, about 8 1/2cm long
• Form the almond paste into rolls about 8cm long
• Wrap the dough around the almond paste
  • There should be some overlap, seal by moistening with water
  • The seam should be near the bottom, so that there is a double layer of dough on the bottom. Ensure the seam is visible at the bottom of the roll
• Brush a cookie sheet (or teflon baking sheet) with water
  • (not butter or oil, that will make the roll leak)
• Brush the egg yolk and milk mixture all over the roll, right to the bottom
• Let the yolk mixure dry
• Brush additional egg yolk mixture on the top of the roll
• Bake in a 200C - 220C (400F - 430F) oven for 40 minutes
• Dilute the apricot jam half-and-half with water
• Brush on the Banketstaaf
• Garnish with candied cherries

Based on the recipe in Oma's Kook Boek, and Cees Holtkamp on YouTube:

YouTube: De Banketletter van Cees Holtkamp