Finding Cake supplies in Eindhoven

Watermolens (water mills) here in the Netherlands are both places to purchase baking supplies and at the same time, pet stores. Intuitively it makes sense, when you consider the grain is processed by the mill, powered by the river water. Flour is created, and grain for animals created, all with large stone grinders. When I first heard of this I thought it was strange but now it seems normal. Without my favorite Michaels around, I have to get my Wilton cake supplies fix somewhere, and De Dommelsche Watermolen is the place!

Located just south of Valkenswaard, (take N69 south, and turn right onto N397, you'll see it after a small river, on your left side).

De Dommelsche Watermolen‎

Bergstraat 1

5551 AW Valkenswaard, Netherlands

 

In the background you see the different types of flours available. Zeeuwse bloem here is 1.50 instead of 1.25(at Genneper Park Watermolen). Check out all that Wilton stuff! And even Crisco- (4 euro for a tiny can). They have fondant, marzipan, gum paste, and everything you need to shape the stuff. Cookie cutters galore, cake pans, sprinkles, etc- it is all there. They even have chocolate chips made from Callebaut chocolate (you can also find them at Genneper Park, and I think the price is a bit cheaper there).

I was excited to find some special carousel candles for Dina's upcoming 3rd birthday. It is difficult to find carousel themed items and it looks like on Wilton.com, that this particular product has been discontinued, so I feel extra lucky to have scored these! They even had the carousel cake creator (for only 35 euro- it is $25 in the US! Love that EU tax! It is a stand, plastic horses that can support the shaped top made of plastic which you are supposed to cover with fondant)... but I felt like it wasn't for me. I feel the need to make the entire cake structure edible. Obviously, I'll have to use supports that are not-edible, but I don't want a fondant-covered plastic thing on the cake. At this point I'm making sketches and test-cakes (husband is happy with that) and so we'll see how it goes!

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

The holiday baking season is upon us! Joy abounds!

It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS! Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies made with Dutch peanut butter and imported American Hershey kisses. It is a marriage made in heaven. Fine tuning this recipe resulted in less sugar than the original, which of course is (almost) always a good thing.

Adapted from my Aunt Mary Lee's recipe(love you, Aunt MLG!):
Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter (230 g)
1 cup creamy peanut butter (260 g Calve Pindakass)
1 cup brown sugar (220 g bastard suiker)
2/3 cup granulated sugar (150g fijn suiker)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour (300 g Zeeuwse bloem)
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
56 Hersheys Kisses, unwrapped

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C)
2. Mix butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, sugar in mixer and beat until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla.
3. Mix dry ingredients together, then add to mixture.
4. Drop by rounded teaspoon onto parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Bake, one sheet at a time, rotating half way through baking for about 12 minutes total.
6. As soon as you pull the tray out of the oven, stick a Hershey's kiss in the center of each cookie.
7. Allow to cool on tray about 3 minutes, then on racks until cool.

Makes 56 cookies.