Have you tried making banket at home yet?

[JAE]

I'm so into making (and eating) banket right now. The recipe I used is from allrecipes.com. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Banket/Detail.aspx?src=etaf I hope it turns out. I made 42 loaves with about 5 other people the other night for a fundraiser. Now, I want to try it myself at home. I have the pastry dough and the filling chilling in the frig.

Does anyone else ever make this? It's pretty popular here around Dutch country (West Michigan). If you have any tips to share, please post them. The loaf I took home from my friends' the other night was good, but they were baked on dark, non stick pans. The bottoms were more browned than the tops, too brown. I want to show them that the banket works out great on stones because of the even browning. I hope it really does work. :chef:

I'll post my results after I'm done. Last time I tried this (many years ago) I ended up having to buy a loaf from the store to take to a school function because mine fell apart. We ate it, so no worries.

JAE

 

[chefjeanine]

Mmmmm. I love almond. Sounds like these would be really good.

What do they mean by "white" sugar?

 

[JAE]

Janine, you live here but have never had this? D&W sells it.White sugar is sugar, I guess. That recipe isn't mine. I just used that recipe. It's not brown and it's not powdered, so it's just regular sugar.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I LOVE Banket! It's one of the Dutch things DH introduced me to that I absolutely adore.

I buy mine at Steenstra's Dutch Bakery. It's on Chicago Dr. (sorta) in Grandville.

If you go to Peter's Imports (In the D&W Plaza across from Rivertown Mall) you can buy the Almond Paste by the gallon!

 

[DebbieJ]

People around here generally call them sticks of banket, not loaves.Almond paste can be found in most supermarkets in the baking aisle. It's usually sold in a small tube/roll.

 

[JAE]

My almond paste was $4.99 for a 10 oz package. Ugh! I don't need an entire gallon, but I wonder how much a gallon is compared to what I paid for 20 oz. 14 oz is all I needed (it equals 1 1/2 cups). Thankfully, I had a $5 coupon off a $25 grocery purchase and my All laundry detergent was on sale and with a coupon $1.49. ($15.20 in coupons all together. I deserve to splurge on almond paste. )

JAE

 

[quiverfull7]

My MIL is the BEST at baking Banket and I have her recipe. I made it with her years ago so that I could learn her tricks and now one of my daughters has done the same thing. She used to make Banket Wreaths at Christmas but that is much more work to put them in a circle and keep them smooth so it's only sticks now but I'm telling you... it's the bEST!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

LOL - what I think is funny is that everyone who is posting on this thread has a connection to West MI! It's definitely a tradition here!

 

[DebbieJ]

yeah, we're all Dutch!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

yeah, we're all Dutch!

Well, I guess I am now...having been grafted into a Dutch family by marriage.

 

[babywings76]

WHen I hear "Dutch" country, I think of out here. I live out in Pennsylvania Dutch Country and I haven't heard of Banket before. We've got Whoopie Pies and Chow Chow and Shoo Fly Pie. There's more, but those are the most famous dishes out here.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

WHen I hear "Dutch" country, I think of out here. I live out in Pennsylvania Dutch Country and I haven't heard of Banket before. We've got Whoopie Pies and Chow Chow and Shoo Fly Pie. There's more, but those are the most famous dishes out here.

Pennsylvania Dutch isn't the same. Not sure what the background is for the Penn. Dutch...but this area is referred to as "Little Netherlands"....many many immigrants from the Netherlands living here. Many of them still first generation. (not uncommon to hear Dutch being spoken, or at least heavily accented English...my husband's grandfather was one of those.)
Another big tradition here is having the Chocolate Initial in your stocking. The initial of your first name in chocolate....made by a Dutch Chocolate Company.

 

[DebbieJ]

Pennsylvania Dutch isn't the same. Not sure what the background is for the Penn. Dutch...but this area is referred to as "Little Netherlands"....many many immigrants from the Netherlands living here. Many of them still first generation. (not uncommon to hear Dutch being spoken, or at least heavily accented English...my husband's grandfather was one of those.)
Another big tradition here is having the Chocolate Initial in your stocking. The initial of your first name in chocolate....made by a Dutch Chocolate Company.

Mmmm....Droste!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Mmmm....Droste!

Yes! I'm partial to the little disks that are half milk/half dark choc. LOVE those!Getting ready to go to Costco, Deb! Lunch there today!

 

[DebbieJ]

Yes! I'm partial to the little disks that are half milk/half dark choc. LOVE those!

Getting ready to go to Costco, Deb! Lunch there today!

I had lunch there yesterday.

 

[JAE]

Lunch at Costco?

I want a chocolate initial in my stocking. Someone tell my dh!

My banket looks really good. It's perfectly golden brown, slid right off my rectangle stone and is cooling on my cooling rack. I'm giving some away and taking the rest to family Christmas functions. We are not Dutch. My husband and his Dad's family are Swedish. My maiden name is Irish, though our ancestors have been in this country for many generations. Not sure what country we are originally from. I don't even go to a Christian Reformed or any kind of Reformed church, Wesleyan, actually. All I KNOW is that I really, really like almond paste!!! (And, I'm surrounded by tall Dutch people who mostly attend CRC churches)

JAE

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Lunch at Costco? I want a chocolate initial in my stocking. Someone tell my dh!My banket looks really good. It's perfectly golden brown, slid right off my rectangle stone and is cooling on my cooling rack. I'm giving some away and taking the rest to family Christmas functions. We are not Dutch. My husband and his Dad's family are Swedish. My maiden name is Irish, though our ancestors have been in this country for many generations. Not sure what country we are originally from. I don't even go to a Christian Reformed or any kind of Reformed church, Wesleyan, actually. All I KNOW is that I really, really like almond paste!!! (And, I'm surrounded by tall Dutch people who mostly attend CRC churches)JAE

The problem is that by this time of the season, most of the initials are sold out. Although I look Dutch - I'm not. German, English, and Irish mix. But Rick is DUTCH! (Isn't it funny - I look more Dutch than him)He grew up going to a CR school and church...but we're Wesleyan along with you now. But, hey - your kids go to a CR School!
Everyone in my family likes almond paste too. YUM!

 

[JAE]

The problem is that by this time of the season, most of the initials are sold out.



Although I look Dutch - I'm not. German, English, and Irish mix. But Rick is DUTCH! (Isn't it funny - I look more Dutch than him)

He grew up going to a CR school and church...but we're Wesleyan along with you now. But, hey - your kids go to a CR School!
Everyone in my family likes almond paste too. YUM!

Yes, my kids go to a CR school, but I just reprogram them as we go along. LOL!

 

[DebbieJ]

Yes, my kids go to a CR school, but I just reprogram them as we go along. LOL!

Hey now....I am a CR church attending, CR school educated woman here. I even went to Calvin College! LOL

Funny thing is I send my son to public school.

 

[JAE]

I grew up almost Baptist and my husband grew up Baptist. I've never been surrounded by more CRC people in my life. My Wesleyan church is the largest church in town, so apparently they all see the need for reprogramming.:angel: LOL! (Please, nobody slam me. I'm just doing some teasing about the reprogramming thing, here.)

Merry Christmas!

JAE

 

[DebbieJ]

Merry Christmas! (I know you're just joking and I totally get it!)

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Merry Christmas!

(I know you're just joking and I totally get it!)

LOL! you have to totally get it, when Jill lives in an area where people have bumper stickers that say "If you're not Dutch, you're not Much"!

I LOVE this area, and am thankful to be raising my son here. I'm also very thankful for Dutch treats (haha) like Banket! Everyone else is missing out!
It's just funny to make jokes (in a loving way) some times!