Dutch Oranjekoek (Frisian Orange Cookie)

Friese Oranjekoek

Bart (my middle son) has his birthday today. Indeed, together with the king of The Netherlands. And that that is very special is known to him. He has already received a real remembrance coin and a medal and has been allowed to plant a tree to celebrate this special day.

And everyone is got a free day on his birthday. And maybe if he is a bit bigger, that way he can have a nice party with his friends on his birthday and they all can come to the party.

Because today is also the birthday of the king, I thought it would be fun to bake something Orange too (the color and name that's connected to our King, it's the house of Orange). That became this Oranjekoek (orange cake in English). Only it's got a pink topping instead of orange. That's because the name is based on the orange peel and not on the color of the glaze ;-).

 We all thought it was delicious. So congratulations Bart (and of course King Willem Alexander too;-))

What do you need for Orange Cookies with Almond Paste

For the preparation of this Frisian Oranjekoek you need the following ingredients (you can find the correct amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog):

• Flour - Normal all purpose flour is good for the Oranjekoek. You can also use spelled flour.
• Candied Orange Peel - This ingredient is the namesake of the Oranjekoek. You can buy them ready-made, but I also have a very tasty recipe for easily making candied orange peels yourself.
• Baking powder - Makes the cake fluffier.
• Almond paste - Together with egg and water, this becomes the filling. Add the egg and water so that the food is spreadable and can be spread evenly over your first layer of dough.
• Salt - Salt in sweet baked goods? Yes, because salt brings out the sweet taste. That is why you often see a pinch of salt in the ingredients list.
• Anise seed, Cardamom and Nutmeg - The spices that give the pancake its delicious taste. Although there are many herbal variants of Frisian Oranjekoek (every baker has his own recipe), aniseed is always present.
• Light brown sugar - For sweetening the biscuit. By using light brown sugar, the cake gets an extra touch of caramel flavor.
• Butter - Needed for the dough, use unsalted butter.
• Confectioner's sugar and red currant juice - With these two we make the icing. The berry juice ensures that the glaze turns a nice pink color.
• Whipped cream - A dollop of whipped cream for the decoration of the Oranjekoek.

How to prepare Frisian Oranjekoek

A recipe with extensive steps, the right amount of ingredients, and which you can also easily print can be found at the bottom of the blog.

1. In a food processor, mix the light brown sugar with butter, spices, egg, water and orange flakes until blended.
2. Add the flour and baking powder and pulse a few times until you have a cohesive dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge.
3. Make the filling by mashing the almond paste with an egg. Add enough water to make the filling easy to spread.
4. Divide the dough into two pieces. Roll both out into a sheet of 10 x 10 inches (25 x 25 cm), cut the edges neatly straight. You can easily roll out the dough by rolling the dough between two sheets of baking paper. Remove the top sheet of baking paper and place the first cookie dough layer on a baking tray.
5. Spread this layer with the almond paste you made in step 3.
6. Take the second layer of cookie dough and place it over the almond paste filling. Poke holes over the orange cake with a fork. Brush with some water. Bake for 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 350 °F (180 °C). Let cool to room temperature.
7. Make the glaze by mixing the icing sugar with the berry juice. You do this by adding a dash of berry juice while you mix. The glaze should be just spreadable. If you make it too thin, it will flow off the top of the pastry.
8. Now cut the Frisian Oranjekoek into pieces and decorate with a dollop of cream. In it you can press fresh fruit or, as here, a small sugar decoration. Serve it!