Sweet memories from the southern Netherlands, filled with Chantilly cream and covered in chocolate.

Celebrations in the Netherlands

We have visited the Netherlands quite a few times, and one thing the Dutch do particularly well is celebrate the holidays.

Carnival in Maastricht is completely over the top. Americans might compare it to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. For the five days before Ash Wednesday, bands, musicians, and singers dressed in colorful costumes fill the streets. Music is everywhere as the community and visitors come together for the festivities. It is a joyful experience and a wonderful way to welcome spring.

In Valkenburg, we visited the Christmas market held inside an underground network of caves. Wandering through the passageways filled with lights, decorations, and market stalls was spectacular.

These memories came back to me when I decided to cook from The Dutch Cookbook by Laura de Grave.

Something Sweet from the South

Bossche bollen come from ’s Hertogenbosch in North Brabant. Although Maastricht and Valkenburg are in neighboring Limburg, all three places are part of the southern Netherlands. That regional connection gave me the perfect opportunity to revisit some of our favorite travel memories.

A Bossche bol is a large choux pastry filled with Chantilly cream and covered in chocolate. What could be better?

Returning to My Pastry Skills

I also love reminding myself of the cooking skills I have learned over the years. It had been quite a while since I made pâte à choux or Chantilly cream.

The pâte à choux came out beautifully. The recipe said it would make six mini bollen, but I ended up with twelve, and they were still a very good size.

I did not have the correct size piping tip, so I used a smaller one. My Bossche bollen were not perfectly round, but that was okay. They puffed beautifully, were crisp and hollow inside, and tasted delicious.

Working with melted chocolate can also be tricky. It needs to remain warm enough for dipping without becoming too loose, overheating, or burning. Once the pastries were coated and chilled, I filled each one with Chantilly cream.

Paul and I each enjoyed one, and he brought the rest to work the following day. The feedback was wonderful. They may not have been perfectly shaped, but no one seemed to mind.

What I Learned

• Pâte à choux is more forgiving than it looks.
• Cooking the dough properly in the pan helps the pastries puff and become hollow.
• Add the eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly after each addition.
• Leave enough room between the pastries because they expand considerably in the oven.
• A smaller piping tip will work, although the bollen may not be perfectly round.
• Keep the chocolate warm and fluid while dipping, but do not allow it to overheat.
• Make a small hole in each pastry while it is still warm so the steam can escape.
• Fill the bollen carefully. When one begins to feel heavy, it has enough Chantilly cream.
• Homemade pastries do not need to look perfect to taste wonderful.

Bossche Bollen

Adapted from The Dutch Cookbook by Laura de Grave

Makes 12

Pâte à Choux

Ingredients

• 150 ml water
• 75 g unsalted butter
• 100 g all purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 3 eggs

Method

Heat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Sift the flour into a bowl, add a pinch of salt, and set aside.

Place the water and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and allow the butter to melt completely.

Add the flour all at once. Whisk or stir vigorously until the mixture becomes smooth and pulls away from the sides of the pan to form a ball. Continue cooking briefly to remove the raw flour taste.

Remove the pan from the heat and allow the dough to cool for a few minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly with a spatula after each addition. Use a stirring and folding motion until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. The finished dough should be smooth, thick, and glossy.

Transfer the pâte à choux to a pastry bag fitted with an 18 mm round tip. Pipe 12 mounds onto the prepared baking tray, leaving enough room between them to puff and expand.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastries are puffed and deeply golden. They should sound hollow when gently tapped.

Immediately transfer the pastries from the baking tray to a wire rack. Make a small hole in the bottom of each one to release the steam. Allow them to cool completely.

Chocolate Coating

Ingredients

• 200 g good quality dark chocolate, 50 to 55 percent cacao
• 75 g unsalted butter

Method

Break or chop the chocolate into small pieces.

Place the chocolate in the upper pan of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.

Allow the chocolate to melt without stirring. Add the butter and let it melt into the chocolate. Once both have melted, stir gently until smooth and fully combined.

Dip the top of each cooled pastry into the chocolate. Gently turn it to create an even coating.

Place the coated bollen on a plate or tray. Once they have all been dipped, refrigerate them until the chocolate is set.

Chantilly Cream

Ingredients

• 500 ml cold heavy cream
• 50 g sugar
• 16 g cream stabilizer

Method

Place the cold cream, sugar, and cream stabilizer in a mixing bowl.

Using the whisk attachment, whip the mixture until it holds soft peaks. Take care not to overwhip the cream.

Transfer the Chantilly cream to a pastry bag fitted with a 6 mm tip.

Insert the tip into the hole in the bottom of each bollen. Gently fill the pastry until it feels noticeably heavier. Do not overfill it, or the pastry may split.

Refrigerate the filled Bossche bollen until ready to serve. Allow them to sit at room temperature briefly before serving so the chocolate coating is not too firm.