Banketstaaf is an amazingly simple Dutch pastry recipe that takes only 10 minutes to assemble. Oven will do the rest of the work. Â
Flaky puff pastry is stuffed with a mixture of sweet almond paste and orange zest, rolled into a log and baked until crispy perfection. Dutch Christmas Log is the easy and delicious holiday treat made in no time. Â
Banket
Don't you just love desserts that require minimal efforts but are irresistibly delicious? No kneading or proofing required.
I certainly do. One of my favorite ways to make a quick and scrumptious desert is to use puff pastry, which is a staple in my freezer.
A few years ago, I made German Hausfreunde Cookies, which are essentially sandwich cookies with almond paste. And although there were a few steps involved, the result totally overcame my expectations.
Since then, I started using almond paste in my cooking more often and one of the recipes that has been especially popular with my readers is Banketstaaf which is Dutch Almond Pastry.
What is Banket
Banket is a traditional Dutch pastry that is so popular around Christmas holidays. The pastry is usually made from flour, eggs and butter. However, puff pastry can also be used.
What makes Banket so amazingly delicious?Â
Marzipan filling! Lots of it!
And who doesn't like Marzipan?
If you've ever tried European sweets (think Mozartkugel), you know that Marzipan is a widely popular ingredient in many recipes.
For this particular Banketstaaf, I used Almond Paste.
Difference between Almond Paste And Marzipan
They are essentially the same thing, but Almond Paste has slightly higher amount of almonds and less sugar than Marzipan.
You can find Almond Paste in practically every grocery store in the baking aisle.
How Do You Make Banketstaaf
1. Roll out puff pastry
Preheat the oven 425 F and covering a rectangular baking sheet with a parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry into a large rectangle, 2 inches shorter than the length of your baking sheet. (See the notes regarding the puff pastry at the bottom of the recipe card.)
Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the pastry in half lengthwise.
2. Shape the Almond Paste
In a medium bowl, combine the almond paste with the orange zest and knead with a fork until well blended.
Divide almond paste into 2 even pieces and roll each peace into a log approximately 1 inch shorter than the length of puff pastry.
3. Form the logs
Place one almond log on one half of puff pastry. Brush the sides of the pastry with a beaten egg.
Fold 2 shorter ends of the pastry to cover the almond log. Fold 2 longer ends over the almond log and flip the log so that the seam was at the bottom.
Repeat with the 2 second sheet of puff pastry.
4. Bake
Transfer the logs onto a prepared baking sheet and brush with the beaten egg. Bake Dutch Banket for 25 minutes until slightly browned on top.
5. Decorate
Meanwhile, put apricot jam in a microwave-safe dish and heat for 20-30 seconds until jam is runny.
Brush baked logs with the apricot jam, sprinkle with sliced almonds and dust with confectioners sugar.
More European Christmas Desserts
- Â Stollen - German Christmas cake with almond paste and dried fruits
- Â Risalamande - super light and airy Danish Christmas Rice Pudding
-  Joulutorttu - prune jam filled Finnish pinwheel cookies
- Trdelnik Recipe - classic Prague street food you can easily make at home
As you can see Banket recipe is such an easy holiday dessert. It requires just a few simple steps and the result will certainly delight you.
If you love recipes using almond pastry filling, give this Banketstaaf a try. It's so good and pairs great with your morning tea or coffee.
If you make this recipe, please leave me a comment below and rate it. I always appreciate the feedback. Also, you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.
If you're looking for a quick overview of the recipe, please check out my Banket web-story.
Banket (Dutch Christmas Log)
Ingredients
- 14 oz sheet puff pastry defrosted
- 10 oz almond paste
- 1 orange zested
- 1 egg beaten
- 3 tablespoon apricot jam
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon sliced almonds
- 3 tablespoon flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 425 F and cover a rectangular baking sheet with a parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry into a large rectangle, 2 inches shorter than the length of your baking sheet.
- Cut the pastry in half lengthwise.
- In a medium bowl, combine the almond paste with the 
orange zest and knead until blended*. (See the notes regarding the almond paste)
- Divide almond paste into 2 even pieces and roll each peace into a log approximately 1 inch shorter than the length of puff pastry.
- Place one almond log on one half of puff pastry. Brush the sides of the pastry with a beaten egg.
- Fold 2 shorter ends of the pastry to cover the almond log. Fold 2 longer ends over the almond log and flip the log so that the seam was at the bottom.
- Repeat with the 2 second sheet of puff pastry.
- Transfer the logs onto a prepared baking sheet, brush with the beaten egg and bake for about 25 minutes until slightly brown on top.
- Meanwhile put apricot jam in a microwave-safe dish and heat for about 20-30 seconds until jam is runny.
- Brush baked logs with the apricot jam, sprinkle with sliced almonds and dust with confectioners sugar.
- Serve with a cup of hot tea or coffee!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Janis says
How long do these stay fresh and do they have to be refrigerated? Do they get soft at room temperature or remain flaky for a couple of days?