Some things you could learn how to bake.
Get Set! Bake!
After yesterday’s post, I figured I should probably give you some examples of the things we could be making.
Belgian baking, traditions and recipes
I used to run an online shop making and selling Belgian chocolates and confectionery. Being a Belgian pastry chef and chocolatier, I loved doing what I connected with most. I published my first book ‘The Festive Belgian Bakery - Holiday Edition’ late last year after having to wrap up my chocolate shop.
Unless you’re already familiar with what a Belgian bakery has to offer, then you know you’re in for some serious treats. Sandwiches, rijsttaart, koffiekoeken, pistolets…
Some things you could be diving into making
vlaai: a Belgian/Dutch fruit pie made with a leavened bread dough, lattice top and filled with preserved fruit. Cherry and apricot are the most common fillings, on their own of course, not together in one pie. Commonly eaten when there’s a fair in town, at birthdays and even funerals.
fruit tart: a crunchy tart base filled with crème patissiere topped with fresh fruit and finished with an apricot glaze. This is the tart your grandmother would get from the bakery on Sundays when she came over for a visit. Cake and coffee, with milk, sugar and not too strong.
farm-style ice cream with options for making it low-lactose.
rice tart: a pie made with two doughs for the base filled with baked rice pudding.
chocolate mousse and riz conde: two iconic desserts served in large bowls to scoop as much as you want.
sure, we could do waffles too. And breads and birthday cakes and more breads and more cakes! Eclairs!
I’m a trained pastry chef so you know this is going to be good.
I don’t eat gluten myself so always try and add gluten-free options for things but that wouldn’t include the breads.
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Loved this so much... But would you consider labeling the photos and placing them adjacent to the paragraphs describing them? I'm going to find a Belgian bakery near me if it KILLS me and I want to know what to order!