Scrolling through an old cookbook this morning, I rediscovered a recipe one of my "mothers" gave me for Christmas my first year teaching.
Boterkoek (butter cookies) is a Dutch treat. It was often featured on December 6th, St. Nicholas' Day. If you enjoy the richness of shortbread, you'll love this recipe.
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| Boterkoek for St. Nicholas' Day |
This is the recipe I was given.
Boterkoek
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 egg yolk
Mix (low speed) until dough forms into a ball. (3-4 minutes)
Knead on counter for about five minutes.
Pat into a greased 8" pie plate.
Glaze with some of the egg white.
Bake at 400 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes. It should be
nicely browned on top, but the inside should be slightly soft.
Cool before cutting into very thin wedges.
Cookies do not keep long, but if baked until done,
they become too hard.
I'll definitely make this again, but here are a few things I learned today...
Because of that warning not to bake too long, I took mine out at 12 minutes. Next time, I'd leave it in for a few minutes longer.
When I googled other Boterkoek recipes to compare, I learned that many used almond flavouring and added almonds in a pattern on top. I like the flavour of my version, but almonds would be nice to try.
A great website to check is The Dutch Table. Their version of Boterkoek is similar, just a larger quantity and they've added vanilla and lemon! A fancier Boterkoek might also have almond paste sandwiched inside! Yum!
The Dutch Table shows how to press the traditional pattern on the top. I tried pressing a design with tiny cookie cutters, but it didn't really show up well after baking.
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| The Dutch Table - traditional pattern for Boterkoek |
Would I make this again? You bet! Because it's a smaller quantity of dough and uses an 8" pie plate, it would be easy to make in a disposable, aluminum pan, perfect for a hostess gift.
I like how you decorated the top of yours -- it came out subtle but nice! I would definitely try this -- I love shortbread!
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