Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Grandma's Boterkoek

One of the best things about Christmas (besides the birth of Jesus.  What can top that?!) is all of the family traditions. One of my favorite traditions is the Nuiver family Christmas party.  My grandma and grandpa would give their children gift boxes at filled with Dutch "treats".  These treats included Dutch cheese, chocolate letters, hagel, dish towels, stroopwafels, and boterkoek.  Since my cousins and I have become adults, we are now the ones to receive a box of yummy treats.  This year my grandma has moved into an apartment without a kitchen so she can no longer bake.  Since we just can't give up this yummy tradition (that we only get once a year) my cousin Andrea and I decided that we should carry on the tradition and make the boterkoek.  There are several different recipes out there (all delicious I'm sure) but my grandma has modified her recipe to make it her own.  Her recipe makes for a less cakey, more dense boterkoek.  Super rich and delicious.  Perfect for breakfast with a cup of coffee!



Grandma's Boterkoek

1 stick butter
1 Cup sugar
1/2 cup almond paste
1 Cup flour
1 egg
few drop lemon extract

Preheat oven to 325*.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add almond paste.  Mix till combined.  Add flour.  In seperate bowl beat egg.  Add most of egg to dough (reserving some for top).  Add lemon.  Beat till combined.  Spread dough into a lightly sprayed pie plate.  Smooth out the top and brush on the rest of the egg.  (This makes the top nice and shiny.)  If you want to be decorative you can add slivered almonds to the top.  Bake for 30-40 minutes till the top is golden brown. 
The picture show 4 boterkoeks.  We made a total of 12, 4 at a time.  The bake time remains the same for 1 or 4.  This recipe is easily doubled.  Make one for now and put one in the freezer.