Bossche bol
Encyclopedia
A Bossche bol sometimes called chocoladebol ('chocolate ball') in its city of origin, is a pastry from the Dutch city of 's-Hertogenbosch (also called Den Bosch). It is effectively a large profiterole, about 12 cm/5" in diameter (i.e. somewhat larger than a tennis ball), filled with whipped cream
and coated entirely or almost entirely with (usually dark) chocolate
.
They are traditionally eaten with the fingers, which can be quite messy. The best way to avoid spillage is by eating the pastry upside down, so that the hard layer of chocolate serves as a bottom. It is also possible, though not traditional, to use a knife and fork.
.
In 1920 a baker from The Hague
called Henri van der Zijde took up shop in the same street on number 25 and invented a variation filled with whipped cream and covered with real chocolate, which his heirs see as the first real Bossche Bol. In the twenties Lambermont started selling a chocolate ball much like this one.
The name "Bossche bol" only became common when the treat became popular outside of the city. The exact recipe varies between bakers.
" (giant ball).
A similar but smaller Dutch pastry is called a moorkop
- a profiterole which is usually not glazed with chocolate, but with a chocolate-flavoured glaze made with cocoa powder. Sometimes a puff of whipped cream is added to the top of a moorkop.
Whipped cream
Whipped cream is cream that has been beaten by a mixer, whisk, or fork until it is light and fluffy. Whipped cream is often sweetened and sometimes flavored with vanilla, in which case it may be called Chantilly cream or crème Chantilly ....
and coated entirely or almost entirely with (usually dark) chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
.
Eating
(?)Bossche bollen (chocoladebollen) are usually eaten as an accompaniment to coffee etc. rather than as a dessert.They are traditionally eaten with the fingers, which can be quite messy. The best way to avoid spillage is by eating the pastry upside down, so that the hard layer of chocolate serves as a bottom. It is also possible, though not traditional, to use a knife and fork.
History
Even before the start of the 20th century a predecessor of the Bossche Bol was being sold in Den Bosch by baker Lambermont, who had a store in a building called "De Kat" on the Vischstraat number B61. The ball made by Lambermont resembled a moorkop and was filled with custardCustard
Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on a cooked mixture of milk or cream and egg yolk. Depending on how much egg or thickener is used, custard may vary in consistency from a thin pouring sauce , to a thick pastry cream used to fill éclairs. The most common custards are used as...
.
In 1920 a baker from The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
called Henri van der Zijde took up shop in the same street on number 25 and invented a variation filled with whipped cream and covered with real chocolate, which his heirs see as the first real Bossche Bol. In the twenties Lambermont started selling a chocolate ball much like this one.
The name "Bossche bol" only became common when the treat became popular outside of the city. The exact recipe varies between bakers.
Similar foods
There is a version of the Bossche Bol twice the size, called a "reuzenbolReuzenbol
A reuzenbol is a Dutch pastry similar to a giant profiterole, or a larger version of a Bossche bol....
" (giant ball).
A similar but smaller Dutch pastry is called a moorkop
Moorkop
A moorkop is a pastry consisting of a profiterole filled with whipped cream. The top of the profiterole is glazed with white or dark chocolate. Often there is whipped cream on the top, with a slice of tangerine or a piece of pineapple.- History :...
- a profiterole which is usually not glazed with chocolate, but with a chocolate-flavoured glaze made with cocoa powder. Sometimes a puff of whipped cream is added to the top of a moorkop.
External links
- Recipes: by Koos Manders, or also Soesgebak: moorkoppen en Bossche bollen (Dutch language)