Boterkoek (Dutch style soft shortbread)

[Xocolatl]

I can't really compare Boterkoek (buttercake) to anything else I know from outside of the Netherlands. Shortbread comes the closest, so I have chosen to describe this as a soft shortbread. It's very rich and creamy. I hope you like it!

Ingredients for the dough:
350 grams of plain flour
300 white cane sugar
300 g unsalted softened butter
1 egg
Zest of 1 orange
Juice of 1 small lemon
1 teaspoon salt

For the wash:
1 egg, beaten
Optional almonds for decoration

1) Preheat the oven to 180 celcius. Line a medium spring form (28 cm) with baking paper. Spray some oil on the paper to make sure it doesn't stick at all. Then put the form in the fridge.
2) Cream the softened butter with the sugar, the egg, the salt, and the orange zest. Then add the flour. Do not mix by hand, but with a spoon and try to be as efficient as possible, stirring the dough as little as possible. Mix in the lemon juice when the mixture gets a little too dry.
3) Put the thick shiny batter in the tin, smooth it out as much as possible and then cover with the egg wash. Then use a fork to make a nice pattern, and add the almonds for decoration.
4) Put the dough back in the fridge for 25 minutes.
5) Then bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.
6) IMPORTANT: LET COOL COMPLETELY. Then put in the fridge overnight. THEN cut into squares as shown below. It is very rich, so don't make the pieces too big.

 

[dragnlaw]

Would love to have some. Might be a bit much for me to make so if anyone could send me a piece (or two) I'd appreciate it.

 

[msmofet]

Thank you

 

[Xocolatl]

Would love to have some. Might be a bit much for me to make so if anyone could send me a piece (or two) I'd appreciate it.

If only I could!

 

[Jusa]

Would love to have some. Might be a bit much for me to make so if anyone could send me a piece (or two) I'd appreciate it.

Seems like you could cut the recipe in half? Give some to a neighbor or friend? I wonder if it freezes well?

 

[Xocolatl]

Seems like you could cut the recipe in half? Give some to a neighbor or friend? I wonder if it freezes well?

It freezes well, I don't know about halving the amounts but you could try I think

 

[msmofet]

Do you think this would work with a 6” springform?

 

[Xocolatl]

Do you think this would work with a 6” springform?

No, that's too small, you need 10 inches or 11 inches .

 

[medtran49]

Do you think this would work with a 6” springform?

See https://m.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html

So I would say no, even making half the recipe. I'm going by the cake pan sizes since they don't give very many springform sizes.

28 cm is just a hair over 11 inches.

 

[medtran49]

As I wrote to @Xocolatl privately, i had been looking at various recipes before she posted the recipe as I think this is something Craig would really like. Most of them use regular pie plates. One recipe had a nice tip, she used a piece of parchment paper to pat down and smooth the dough so it wouldn't try to stick to her fingers.

 

[Badjak]

It's been a long time since I had boterkoek. It's really nice and worthwhile making (and I don't normally like sweet things)

 

[Xocolatl]

As I wrote to @Xocolatl privately, i had been looking at various recipes before she posted the recipe as I think this is something Craig would really like. Most of them use regular pie plates. One recipe had a nice tip, she used a piece of parchment paper to pat down and smooth the dough so it wouldn't try to stick to her fingers.

I just pour it from the bowl into the tin with a spoon and a scraper

 

[medtran49]

I just pour it from the bowl into the tin with a spoon and a scraper

There was no "pouring" of dough with what I made since I used vanilla bean seeds and didn't add lemon juice. The dough had to be patted down into the pan.

Craig REALLY liked it and I liked it as well. He likes certain sweets a lot more than I do and this recipe certainly hit his spot. I fully expect this to be gone by tomorrow, Monday, evening.

Remembering that I didn't add the additional lemon juice, I will line any pan I use in the future with parchment paper for removal ease. I buttered my pan really well, but it still wanted to stick.

Thanks for the recipe @Xocolatl !

 

[Xocolatl]

There was no "pouring" of dough with what I made since I used vanilla bean seeds and didn't add lemon juice. The dough had to be patted down into the pan.

Craig REALLY liked it and I liked it as well. He likes certain sweets a lot more than I do and this recipe certainly hit his spot. I fully expect this to be gone by tomorrow, Monday, evening.

Remembering that I didn't add the additional lemon juice, I will line any pan I use in the future with parchment paper for removal ease. I buttered my pan really well, but it still wanted to stick.

Thanks for the recipe @Xocolatl !

That's why the recipe said to line the pan, it's incredibly sticky. I'm glad you liked it though do you think soft shortbread is a good description?

 

[medtran49]

Oops, missed the lining part.

Yes, soft shortbread is a good description.