In Verliefd op Nederland, Roëll de Ram suggests a stop for coffee and Limburgse vlaai on a walk through De Meinweg in Limburg. Her local food chapter describes vlaai as a shallow pie that can hold fruit or a sweet pudding filling. On the facing page are Arnhemse meisjes, crisp oval biscuits with a layer of sugar. A slice on a plate and a biscuit beside a cup suit different kinds of pause.
Start with the afternoon you have in mind. Bake speculaas for a small bite with a hot drink, make appeltaart if you want a pie to share, or put a frying pan on for a lunch of Dutch pancakes.
Speculaas for coffee or tea
Choose speculaas when you want something you can put on the table as soon as the kettle is on. The biscuits are thin and crisp once cool, with the deep sweetness of dark brown sugar and the warmth of a spice blend. Pantry’s recipe makes about 28, enough to set out a small plate and keep the rest for another coffee break.
A rolling pin and ordinary cookie cutters are enough to shape them. The dough needs an hour in the fridge, and the biscuits firm up as they cool. If you’re baking for visitors, leave time for both. The recipe calls for Verstegen biscuit and speculaas spice.
Make Pantry’s traditional Dutch speculaas cookies.
Appeltaart when there are slices to share
Choose appeltaart when you want one bake to serve several people. Pantry’s recipe makes a tall pie in a springform tin, with firm apples, cinnamon and a lattice of buttery pastry. Raisins are optional. The recipe gives 10 to 12 slices, which makes it a practical choice for guests or for taking a pie to someone else’s table.
Plan the afternoon around the cooling time as well as the oven. The pastry dough chills before assembly, and the baked pie needs time to settle so the slices hold together. If guests are coming later in the day, start early enough to have the pie ready before they arrive. Set out the slices plain, or offer lightly whipped cream in a bowl so people can add their own.
Make Pantry’s traditional Dutch appeltaart.
Pannenkoeken when the afternoon starts with lunch
Dutch pancakes suit a meal where people can choose their own toppings. Pantry’s recipe makes about eight large pancakes, thin enough to fold or roll. The same batter works with the recipe’s apple and cinnamon, cheese or bacon variations, so a single batch can cover different tastes at the table.
Allow for the batter’s half-hour rest and the time at the stove. Put the toppings out while the batter rests. If you’re cooking for several people, decide whether to make a stack for everyone to share or let people begin eating as their pancakes come out of the pan. A bottle of Van Gilse pouring syrup gives people a sweet option alongside the savoury toppings.
Make Pantry’s traditional Dutch pannenkoeken.
If lunch is the main event, start with the pancakes and put a few biscuits beside the coffee afterwards. For a visit that starts after lunch, choose the pie or the biscuits according to the time you have and how much you want to serve.
From the Pantry Bookshelf. Roëll de Ram, Verliefd op Nederland. De meest bijzondere plekken dicht bij huis, Kosmos Uitgevers, pp. 64, 65 and 80.