Ah, so this is how you eat a Bossche bol without making a mess
As a true Brabant native, I couldn’t be happier with our culinary heritage. My favorite is the sausage roll, but I certainly wouldn’t say no to a Bossche bol either. Except that my hand ends up covered in whipped cream and chocolate whenever I eat one of those ‘bolleke’ pastries. From now on, I don’t have to worry about that anymore. I have finally figured out how to eat a Bossche bol.
The Bossche bol comes from Den Bosch. I may not live in this Brabant city, but I did work there for a while. Back then, I saw a long line every day outside Jan de Groot, the one and only true Bossche bol maker. Once you’ve tasted Jan’s pastries, you’re spoiled for life. Sorry, but the Bossche bollen from the supermarket don’t come close.
Eating a Bossche bol: this is how you do it
But how are you actually supposed to eat a Bossche bol? Well, not by cutting it in half. Just try doing that without squeezing all the whipped cream out of the pastry. No, eat it straight from your hand. But with a twist—literally. Yep, you have to turn the Bossche bol upside down when you want to eat it. On its head, in other words. There is a hole in the choux pastry at the bottom of the bol. Turn the Bossche bol over, with the hole facing upward, and you can keep the whipped cream nicely under control. Eat the Bossche bol the normal way, with the chocolate layer on top and the hole at the bottom? Then the whipped cream is guaranteed to come out, turning it into one big mess.
Baking Bossche bollen
This tip comes from Jan de Groot himself. As the best Bossche bol baker in the country, you obviously know all there is to know about the ‘Sjekladebol’. Think you can outdo Jan? With this recipe, you might get pretty close. Otherwise, a trip to Den Bosch is a great solution. In that case, I still have plenty of delicious tips for a culinary day in this lovely Brabant city.
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