Ingredients
Choux
- 250 mlwater
- 100 gbutter
- ½ tspsalt
- 1 tspsugar
- 150 gplain flour
- 4eggs
Filling
- 750 mldouble cream, very cold
- 2 tbspicing sugar
- 1 tspvanilla extract
Coating
- 400 gdark chocolate, 54 to 60 per cent
Directions
- Bring the water, butter, salt and sugar to a full rolling boil, making sure the butter has melted completely before the water has had time to reduce.
- Tip in all the flour at once and beat hard over the heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the dough comes away as a ball and a thin film forms on the base of the pan. That film is the signal that enough moisture has driven off.
- Scrape the dough into a bowl and let it cool to lukewarm, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Eggs added to hot dough scramble, and the dough is ready when it falls from the spoon in a slow V.
- Pipe six generous mounds about 10 cm across onto lined trays, spaced well apart. These are meant to be the size of a fist: a Bossche bol is not a profiterole and making them small misses the point entirely.
- Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 15 minutes, then lower to 180°C (355°F) and give them a further 25 to 30 minutes. Do not open the door during the first 20 minutes, because the rush of cool air collapses them and they will not rise again.
- Pierce the base of each with a skewer and return them to the switched-off oven for 10 minutes to dry out the inside.
- Cool completely. Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla to firm peaks, stopping while it still looks glossy rather than grainy.
- Pipe the cream in through the hole in the base until the ball is heavy in the hand and will take no more. A Bossche bol is filled to the point of bursting.
- Melt the chocolate, tempering it if you want a proper snap. Holding each ball by its base, dip it so the entire top and sides are covered, then set it upside down on parchment.
- Chill for 30 minutes to set. Eat the same day, because the choux softens under the weight of the cream overnight.
Technique
- The chocolate goes all the way round the ball, not on as a lid. A partially coated one is a chocolate éclair in the wrong shape.
- Size is part of the identity. In ‘s-Hertogenbosch it is eaten with a fork and knife, or with both hands and no dignity.
- Cold cream, cold bowl, cold whisk. Warm cream will not hold up inside a ball this large.
Substitutions
- Milk chocolate, which some bakeries now offer and purists in Den Bosch object to.
- Cream stabilised with a spoonful of mascarpone if it has to stand for a few hours.
Variations
- With a splash of kirsch in the cream.
- Made small, sold as bosbollen.
- With a coffee-flavoured cream, which is a modern bakery variation.
History
The speciality of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, sold by bakeries in the city since the late nineteenth century.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bossche bol?
Bossche bol is a dessert from Netherlands: fist-sized cream-filled choux ball fully coated in dark chocolate. The speciality of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, sold by bakeries in the city since the late nineteenth century.
How long does Bossche bol take to make?
Bossche bol takes 40 min of preparation and 50 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 large balls. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Bossche bol?
Yes, within limits. Milk chocolate, which some bakeries now offer and purists in Den Bosch object to. Cream stabilised with a spoonful of mascarpone if it has to stand for a few hours.
What is the most important thing to get right in Bossche bol?
Pipe six generous mounds about 10 cm across onto lined trays, spaced well apart. These are meant to be the size of a fist: a Bossche bol is not a profiterole and making them small misses the point entirely.
