Banket is a type of sweet pastry filled with almond paste, originating in the Netherlands.
It is produced in different shapes, each with different names.
One variety consists of long bars or loaves cut into individual portions, also called almond rolls or almond patties in English and banketstaaf (plural banketstaven) in Dutch.
Banketstaaf is prepared using puff pastry as the base, then filled with almond paste (amandelspijs in Dutch) or persipan or sometimes even marzipan, and dusted with powdered sugar.
In the Netherlands and Dutch ethnic communities in the Midwest United States, it is popular during the Christmas period, so it has been included in the section Christmas around the World as:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: European
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients
- 9.5 oz puff pastry
- 8.8 oz blanched almonds
- 1/4 cup water
- 8.8 oz sugar
- 1/2 lemon (juice only)
- 1 egg
- as needed powdered sugar
Steps
For the puff pastry follow this recipe or purchase it ready-made.
For the almond paste:
Chop the blanched almonds a little at a time so they do not heat up too much.
Create the syrup with water, sugar, and lemon juice. Add the almonds, mix, and create a smooth mixture.
Transfer it onto parchment paper and shape it into a loaf.
Once cooled, store it in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Unroll the puff pastry, fill it with almond paste, and close it to form a sort of large bar.
Brush with beaten egg.
Bake in the oven at 400°F for 25 minutes.
Once cooled, cut the banketstaaf and decorate with powdered sugar.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What are the other varieties of banket?
Another variety is the rolled logs shaped into letters, called in English Dutch letters or banket letters or almond letters, or butter letters and in Dutch as banketletter or boterletter. From the same type of dough and filling, smaller pastry rolls are created and shaped into letters.
Originally, the pastry was shaped like “the initial of the family surname.”
Today, the most common shape in the United States is the letter “S.”
Dutch letters are served as gifts in December, especially on Sinterklaasavond on December 5 in the Netherlands and during some festivals in the United States.What is the difference between almond paste and marzipan?
Marzipan contains more sugar and often additional ingredients such as egg whites, resulting in a smoother texture.
Almond paste is primarily used in baked goods, while marzipan is commonly used for decorative and confectionery purposes.
Finally, almond paste has a coarser texture but is much softer than marzipan, which allows it to be spread as a filling.What is persipan?
Persipan is similar to marzipan but is made from peach or apricot kernels and has a slightly bitter taste, containing glucose syrup or sorbitol.
The apricots grown for persipan production are not edible.
Foods containing persipan include dominostein and Christstollen.
