Gevulde Boterkoek (Buttercake)
Ingredients: For the dough : 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of butter (do not use margarine), 1 cup (caster) sugar, 1 small egg, pinch of salt. For the filling : 2 cups blanched almonds, quarter cup sugar, 1 small egg, grated peel of half a lemon.
Instructions: Knead all the ingredients for the dough into a firm ball. Divide the dough in two and press one half into a buttered pie pan of 1 inch (2½ cm) deep and 8 inch (20 cm) diameter. Make the filling. Grind the blanched almonds, mix with sugar, beaten egg and lemon peel and grind once more. Place this almond paste on top of the dough layer and press the other half on top of both. Bake in moderate (350 degree Fahrenheit = 175 degrees Centigrade) oven until golden brown and done, about one hour. Remove from the pan and cool on wire rack. Cut in wedges or diamonds.

Limburgse Vlaai (Limburg Pies)
Ingredients: For the dough : a sweet bread dough (or fine bread dough) baked in a 10 inch (25 cm) round pan or in 4 individual smaller pans, made of 2 cups flour (use your own favorite recipe). For the filling : any fruit, dried fruit, sugar.
Instructions: Limburg Pies are thin, flat pieces made of bread dough. They are made in all sizes from 4 to 20 inches (10 to 50 cm) in diameter. For a pie of about 8 inches (20 cm), a dough made of 2 cups of flour will suffice. For preparing dough use recipe for sweet bread dough or fine bread dough adding a little butter or margarine. Knead dough, leave it to rise, roll it out thinly, put it in a greased round pan, cover up and leave to rise to double its size. Prick through the dough with fork or knife if it has risen too high. Cut (for instance) the plums into halves, stone them and put them closely together on the dough with the cut side upwards, or fill the pie with stoned cherries or stewed fruit. Bake pie in hot oven (450 degr. Fahrenheit = 235 degr. Centigrade) for 30 minutes. Sprinkle fruit with sugar 10 minutes before pie is taken out of the oven, sprinkle once more when pie is done. If stewed fruit is used, mix fruit with sugar before filling pie.

Hollandse Pannekoeken (Dutch Pancakes)
Ingredients: For one large pancake : 1 cup flour, salt, 2 large eggs or 3 medium (fills ½ cup when beaten), 1 cup milk, at least ¼ cup butter or margarine. (multiply the above recipe with the number of pancakes you wish to make).
Instructions: Put the flour and salt in a bowl, make a well in the middle and add the beaten eggs. Mix to a smooth batter. Add the rest of the milk. Melt half the butter in a heavy skillet. Pour the batter into it. Turn these pancakes frequently, each time adding some butter. They should then become golden brown and crisp at the sides. For 1 Pancake

Gewone Pannekoeken (Regular Pancakes)
Ingredients: 4 cups of flour (or 4 cups of proprietary pancake mix if available), salt, 1 cake yeast (two thirds of an oz), 4 cups lukewarm milk, butter or margarine.
Instructions: Put the flour and the salt in a bowl. Make a depression in the center. Add the diluted (with a little milk) yeast. Add 2 cups of milk and mix to a smooth batter. Add the rest of the milk. Leave to rise for three quarters of an hour. Heat enough butter in a heavy skillet. Pour in part of the butter and fry the pancake on both sides. You can toss the pancake in the air for turning, if you like. Try outs with someone standing by to catch them is advisable if this is your first attempt ! :-) Otherwise use a spatula. Keep them hot in the warming drawer and serve with sugar or molasses, golden syrup or treacle. There are variations on the recipe of the 'regular' pancake, such as sprinkling pieces or slices of (cooking) apple in the batter while still in the skillet (Appel pannekoek/Apple Pancake) or pre-fry some bacon (not too thin) and pour the pancake batter on top of the (nearly done) bacon (Spek pannekoek/Bacon Pancake). You can also think up some variations of your own by using locally available delicacies ! This recipe makes 4 big pancakes

Oliebollen (Dutch Doughnuts).
Ingredients: 500 grams of flour, 25 grams yeast, 3 ½ deciliter lukewarm milk, 250 grams(in total) of currants and raisins, 50 grams of candied lemon peel (shredded), 2 apples, some salt, salad (cooking) oil or baking fat for deep frying.
Instructions: Put the flower in a bowl, make in the center a depression and pour the yeast, which has been dissolved with a bit of lukewarm milk, into the hole. Add the remaining milk and stir, beginning from the center, a smooth mix of the flour and milk. Stir the washed (and afterwards dried) currants and raisins and the shredded peel and apples throuh the mix. Beat (by hand or machine) the mass to a smooth and airy mix and leave it, covered with a damp cloth (e.g. tea towel) to rise in a warm place (i.e. on top of a bowl with warm water) for about three quarters of an hour to one hour. Use two table spoons to shape balls and slide them into the warm oil or fat. The temperature of the oil should be such that it is only just giving off vapour. Deepfry the doughnuts quickly until brown and thoroughly done. They should be soft and not oil soaked inside. Remove them from the oil with a skimmer or similar tool, leave for a short while to drain on absorbent paper and serve them hot, piled on a dish covered with powder sugar.

Appelflappen (Apple Folds)
Ingredients: (For appr. 12 pieces) : 250 grams flour, 125 grams cold, firm butter, 1 deciliter water, a pinch of salt. For the filling : 4 to 5 cooking apples, appr. 4 tablespoons (not heaped) of sugar, 30 gr. currents, 30 gr. raisins, some cinnamon. For brushing : 1 egg yoke or a mix of milk and sugar.
Instructions: Prepare or buy (shortcrust) pastry. Roll the pastry not too thinly and cut out large cirkels (6 in/15cm). Prepare the filling by cutting dices out of the pealed apples and mix them with the sugar, cinnamon, well drained previously washed currants and raisins. Do NOT prepare the filling in advance as the sugar will melt making the pastry too damp. Heap some filling on each cirkel of pastry and fold the edges over it, glueing the edges down with water. Brush each applefold with the eggyoke, which has been slightly beaten in a table spoon of water or use the mix of milk and sugar. Put the folds on a buttered baking tray and bake them in the middle of a hot oven in approx. 10 minutes until golden brown and well cooked. Eat them not too long afterwards as the crust will soon become limp because of the moist filling.

Kerstbrood (Xmas Loaf)
Ingredients: 500 gr. of self rising flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 200 gr. white castor sugar, 1 sachet of vanilla sugar, half (miniature) bottle of rum essence, half a (miniature) bottle of almond essence, 2 teaspoons rasped lemon peel, half a teaspoon (powder) nutmeg, 2 eggs, 150 gr. molten butter, 250 gr. quark (a type of yoghurt), 200 gr. raisins, 100 gr. coarsly chopped almonds, 50 gr. chopped candied lemon peel. To decorate : molten butter and powdered sugar (if desired).
Instructions: Sieve the self risingflour and the salt together with the castor sugar and the vanilla sugar in a bowl. Add and mix the rum - and almond essence, the rasped lemon peel and the nutmeg. Add the eggs, the molten butter, the quark and the remaining ingredients. Knead the mix to a cohesive lump of dough. Butter the baking dish and fill with the dough. Put the dish on a wire rack in the oven, bake until done to a lightbrown color. Brush immediately after removal from the oven with the molten butter and sprinkle with powder sugar. Baking times : In conventional oven : preheat to 175 degrees (Centigrade), put wire rack on first level from the bottom and leave for 70-80 minutes at 175 degrees. Leave another 10 minutes in the oven after switching off. In Hotair type of oven : 70-80 minutes at 150-175 degrees. Leave 10 minutes in oven after switching off. In Combi Microwave oven : Preheat to 175 degrees, wire rack on first level from bottom. Bake for 45 minutes at 175 degreees + microwave at 180 Watt.

Kerstkrans (Xmas Ring)
Ingredients: Puff pastry: 1 cup of flour - ½ cup butter or margarine - water to mix salt. For the filling : Almond paste : 3/4 cup shelled blanched and peeled almonds, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 egg, the peel of 1 lemon, 5 candied cherries. To decorate : Thin lemon icing, apricot preserve, candied red and green cherries, candied orange peel, candied lemon peel, a red ribbon, holly.
Instructions: Make the filling preferably at least 1 month in advance. Store in jar. Grind the almonds very finely, add the sugar and the egg, also the grated peel. Mix well. Grind again. Store. When necessary knead through and add some water if paste is too stiff. Make the puff-pastry your favorite way. Roll out into long strip of 1/8 inch (4mm) thick, 4 inch (10 cm) wide. Brush your baking tray with water. Take a pancover that will nearly fit the baking tray. Put it in the middle and trace the circumference, this will guide you when forming the ring. Shape almond paste into roll of nearly the same length. Press 10 halved candied cherries at equal intervals into the almond paste roll. They must not be visible any more. Now place the almond roll on the dough, a little above the centre. Wet the lower part of the dough with water and wrap it loosely around the almond paste roll. Put it on the baking tray : the 'ring' will guide you. Seal the join well and turn the roll until the join faces down. Form a ring by joining the two ends together with some water. Brush with beaten egg. Allow to stand for 15 minutes in a hot oven (450 degrees Fahrenheit) until golden brown. When done, coat the ring thinly with preserve and when still HOT, coat with thin icing (with a few drops of lemon juice). Cool. When firm, take from the tray and cool on wire rack. Decorate with halved candied cherries, orange peel and lemon peel cut in leaf shapes. Tie a ribbon around the ring where the two ends meet and decorate with holly.

Vleeskroketten (Meat Filled Croquettes)
Ingredients: For 8 croquettes : 200 grams of boiled or fried lean veal- or (tender) beef, two and a half deliciter (one deciliter = one tenth of a liter) bouillon (made from bouillon or beef-tea cubes or use some of the vealstock), a piece bay leaf and some nutmeg, a knifepoint of thyme, 4 peppergrains, a piece of onion and carrot, a couple of twigs of parseley, 35 grams flour, 35 grams butter, 5 grams gelatin (NOT to be confused with gelignite..!), a small squeeze of lemon juice, some powder pepper, dry breadcrumbs, 1 egg, fat or oil for deepfrying.
Instructions: Add the rasped/chopped vegetables and spices to the warm(ed) stock and leave for approx half an hour.Prepare a thick sauce of the butter, flour, the (strained) stock and boil for a few minutes on low heat. Dissolve the gelatin (which has previously been left to soak for about 10 minutes in ample water and squeezed out) in the thick sauce. Mix the finely chopped meat with the sauce. Add the lemonjuice and pepper to taste. This mix (also called ragout or hash) is now spread out onto a flat dinner plate and must be left to cool off until cold right through. Divide into 8 equal rolls and roll them through the dry bread crumbs. Beat the egg with one table spoon of water until dissolved but not foamy and roll the croquettes through this mixture. Roll the croquettes through the breadcrumbs a second time and make sure there are no cracks in the cover of crumbs/eggmix. In the meantime heat the deep fry fat or oil until vapour starts to rise and place the croquettes, preferably with the aid of a utensil, into the oil and let them brown quickly to a golden brown (...why am I getting hungry..). Remove excess oil by placing croquettes on oil absorbing paper for a short while and serve on plate, decorated with (fried) parsely twigs if you wish. This recipe can also be used to make 'Bitterballen'. Instead of making long shaped rolls, make balls ( about 4 cm/1½ in) diameter) out of the mix and serve hot at parties or other festive occasions.

Erwtensoep (Dutch Peasoup)
Ingredients: 2 cups of split green peas - 3 qts of cold water - 1 pig's trotter - 1 pig's ear - 1 cup of bacon squares - 4 frankfurters (sausages) - 1 Lb potatoes - 4 tablespoons of salt - 1 celeriac (the root of a celeryplant) - 1 bunch of celery green - 2 leeks - 2 onions.
Instructions: Wash the peas, soak for 12 hours (unless you use quick cooking peas) and boil gently in the water they were soaked in for at least two hours. Cook in this liquid the trotter and the ear and the bacon for one hour. Add the sliced potatoes, salt the diced celeriac, cut up the leeks and celeray green and cook until everything is done and the soup is smooth and thick. Add the frankfurters for the last 10 minutes. The longer the soup simmers the better the taste. Three hours is the usual time in Holland. The soup gets so thick when it cools that it can be cut the next day. The next day day the soup tastes even better. That is why it is made in such big quantities.

Ontbijkoek (Dutch Spicy Cake)
Ingredients: 2 cups of self raising flour, 1/2 (half) cup dark brown sugar (demerara sugar), 1/3 (one third) cup molasses or treacle, 1 cup of milk, 1 tsp. each of ground cloves, cinnamon and ginger, 1/2 (half) tsp. grated nutmeg, pinch of salt.
Instructions: Combine all the ingredients to a smooth paste. Butter an oblong 8x3 (inch) cake tin, fill with dough and bake for about one hour in a slow oven (300 degrees F). When cooked, allow to cool and keep in a tin or in the bread-bin for 24 hoursbefore serving. This cake keeps moist when put in the bread-bin with the bread. The Dutch serve it with their 'elevenses', buttered or on a slice of bread for breakfast.

Arnhemse Meisjes (Arnhem Girls)
Ingredients: 1 cup of butter or margarine, 1/2 (half) cup of flour, a pinch of salt, about 4 tbsp. water, 1 egg, sugar for sprinkling.
Instructions: Make puff pastry in your own manner using the first for ingredients. Roll out thinly. Cut out ovals with a cookie cutter of about 21/2 (two and a half) (inch). Place on buttered metal baking sheet, not too close together. Moisten tops with a mixture of water and beaten egg and sprinkle with fine (granular) sugar. Bake about 10 minutes in a hot oven (450 degrees F) until done, very crisp and golden brown.

Hutspot (Hotchpotch)
Ingredients: 1 lb lean boneless chuck (thin flank) (UK : lean brisket), 2/3 (two thirds) lb onions, 4 lb potatoes, 2 lb carrots, milk, 4 tbsp. fat, butter or margarine, pepper.
Instructions: Wash meat, boil in 2 cups of water and salt for about 2 hours. Scrub and mince carrots. Peel, wash and slice onions and add them to the meat together with peeled and cut potatoes and carrots. Boil until done (about 30 minutes). Remove meat from pan. Mash all the vegatables and add fat, butter or margarineand pepper. If too thick add some milk (but a spoon must stand up in it). Servewith the sliced meat. The dish is eaten as a main meal dish, either with some soup to start, and followed up with fruit, as the dish is very nourishing. Serves 4

Taai-Taai (Tough Tough)
Ingredients: 250 grams of honey, 150 grams of syrup (treacle), 1 tablespoon aniseed, two and a quarter deciliter of water, 250 gram patent flour, 500 grams reye flour, 20 grams of cookie herbs, one to one and a half of deciliter buttermilk, 1 tablespoon of fine cornflour, 1 small packet of baking powder and some cooking oil, butter, milk.
Instructions: Put the honey/treacle/aniseed and water in a pan to the boil whilst stirring. In the meantime mix the patent flour, rye flour and the cookie herbs. Rub the contents in the pan which has been left to cool off first, through a sieve into the mix of the flour and herbs. Mix thoroughly together. Leave the contents in a pan (covered with a cloth) for a least a week in cool place. After a week : Mix the fine cornflour and baking powder and sieve this into the pan containing the week earlier prepared ingredients. Add the buttermilk and thoroughly stir the final mix. You will now need some kind of mould to pour the mix into to produce the figure- shaped Taai Taai cookies. In The Netherlands these moulds can be bought. They are usually cut into a wooden plank. Each plank containing about 6 figures. Similar moulds would do. Oil the moulds and fill them with (part of) the mix. Remove excess from the mould with a knife to make a clean, flat surface. Empty contents of the mould onto a flat, buttered, baking (oven) tray and brush with some milk. Bake in pre-heated oven of 220 degrees (centigrade) for abour 30 minutes to a nice dark golden brown. Let them cool off and keep for at least another week before consuming them. Tip : If you are using small moulds, keep about one and a half cm distance between each cookie. As you will have noticed from the recipe, you will have to start making the Taai Taai two weeks before you plan to eat them !

Speculaas
Ingredients: 1500 grams flour, 1000 grams castor sugar, 750 grams butter, 15 grams of potash, 3 deciliter ( three tenth of a liter) milk, 150 grams sucade (candied orange/ lemon peel), 150 grams almonds, 5 to 6 drops lemon-oil (essence), 100 grams assorted herbs (finely ground) consisting of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and mace.
Instructions: Mix and knead all ingredients. Use and fill the moulds in the manner described in the Taai-Taai recipe. You can use mould planks with a St. Nicholas figure or a Dutch Windmill. Empty the moulds onto a buttered flat baking (oven) tray and bake in a pre-heated oven until crisp and brown.