MUSTARD-FILLED BITTERBALLENS

FINGER-LICKING SNACK TIME!

Well I gotta say, this is one out-of-the-theme post. Bitterballens are supposedly deep-fried snacks, not the oven-baked ones. But anyway, I feel like I need to post this, so... here we go.

I HAVE A THING FOR DUTCH FOOD, to begin with. They're rich and creamy, but somehow uniquely spicy. Bitterballens are one of my favourite Dutch food. They're relatively EASY to make, finger-lickin' good, and  are perfect for any occassion. 

Here is the recipe to these yummy treats :

Ingredients :

• 300gr minced meat
• 3 cloves of garlics, finely chopped (or grated, however you like it)
• 1 onion, finely chopped (you could use 6 shallots to substitute)
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 120gr all-purpose flour, sieved
• 400ml heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp white granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp pepper (or more, however you like it)
• 50 gr grated Cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp Mustard
• a sprig of parsley, finely minced

For coating :

• 2 eggs, mixed
• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
• Breadcrumbs

How-to :

1. Lightly toast the minced meat in a pan. No oil, butter, or water needed. You just want to get the meat done and get rid of the raw smell. Use small heat, and toast for about 5 minutes or until the meat is cooked through. Turn off the heat and set it aside.
2. In a medium sauce pan, add in the butter, saute the garlic and onion until perfectly golden brown and caramelized. 
3. Add the sieved flour to the pan. Mix well, try not to incorporate the flour without burning it. Use small heat to avoid it.
4. You can see that the mixture is now a bit lumpy. It is time to add in the heavy cream gradually to the mixture.
5. Add the toasted meat, nutmeg powder, grated cheese, mustard, and minced parsley
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Now that the batter is done, it is time to divide them to golf-ball-sized parts. However since the batter is still hot and is highly impossible to shape, you might want to set the batter aside to cool, or simply store it in the fridge for about 2 to 3 hours.
8. Having been chilled down, you can now shape them up. Take about 1 tbsp of the batter, make a golf-ball-sized part and set it aside. When all of the batter is perfectly shaped, store them in the fridge (again) and let cool for an hour. 
9. Now here comes the messy part. Coat the Bitterballens (dip in the eggs mixture first, followed by flour and finally breadcrumbs afterwards).
10. If you're in a hurry, you could immediately deep-fry these babies and serve them with chilli sauce. If you're not, you might want to store them in the fridge and fry 'em later.

PS : Bitterballens could only last for 3-4 days in the fridge. Don't store them too long or they'll flatten when fried. Happened to me a couple of days ago and I am sooo upset about it. :(

FEEL FREE TO TRY THIS UP. 

GOODLUCK! :D

COMING FRESH FROM THE OVEN : WALNUT-TOPPED ONBITJKOEK!

One fine Sunday morning and I happened to find some left-over walnuts, palm sugar, and spekoek spices.

Voila! Here goes the classic, home-made Onbitjkoek. 

"An ontbijtkoek (literally translated breakfast cake) or peperkoek is a Dutch-Belgian spiced cake. Rye is its most important ingredient, coloring the cake a light brown. It is often spiced with cloves, cinnamon, ginger, succade and nutmeg. Several parts of the Netherlands have their own local recipe, of which the most famous is "Oudewijvenkoek" (old wives' cake) which is mostly eaten in the northern regions, and is flavored with aniseed. Ontbijtkoek is originally served at breakfast with a thick layer of butter on top, as a replacement for bread. However due to its sweet taste it is also served as a snack.

Originally called 'peperkoek' it was made from breadcrumbs and other left over bakery products stored in an attic.These ingredients were periodically collected and pressed to create the 'peperkoek' which was augmented with black pepper to conceal the age of the resulting thick bread, hence its name. Pepper being historically one of the most valuable Dutch East India Company trading products, it was used in many Dutch food products. "

This cake makes such an awesome breakfast and teatime companion, I tell you. 

Here is the worth-trying recipe : 

ingredients:

2 cups self rising flour
1/2 cup palm sugar (you can use brown sugar, alternatively)
1 cup milk

1 mixture of Spekoek spices, consisting of : 

1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 pinch salt

directions:

Combine all the ingredients to a smooth paste. Butter a rectangular 8" x 3" cake tin, fill with dough and bake about one hour in a slow oven (300 degrees F). When cooked, allow to cool and keep in a tin or in the bread-bin for 24 hour before serving. 

This cake keep moist when put in the bread-bin with the bread. The Dutch serve it with their "elevenses", buttered or on a slice of bread for breakfast.

ps : as for me, i'd love to sprinkle some roasted walnuts on the top of the dough before baking it. makes such a fine aroma to it. 

recipe source :http://www.cdkitchen.com  

and here is the final result! :)