Van Straten Almond Stick -Banket Staaf

This flakey buttery pastry is filled with Amandel Spijs which is ground almonds sweetened and seasoned with a bit of lemon peel, so little you won’t know it is there.

An examination of the history of the flakey pastry of this distinct Dutch Christmas delicacy banket could make a wonderful study in the movement of baking techniques across Europe. Some say the filo pastry of the Middle East, Greece and Turkey moved northward through the expansion of the Ottoman empire into Austria and from there to other Germanic countries. A Dutchman might not wish to concede that the pastry didn’t organically develop on its own in Holland.  However, the origins of the almond filling could also start some interesting discussions if one considers that almonds are not natural to The Netherlands. Regardless of its origins, this is a particularly Dutch contribution to Christmas. Most Dutch expatriates look forward to the Christmas season especially because this pastry will be available. Historically it was made in the shape of a person’s first name initial. You can read more about that in our article about chocolate letters HERE. I still remember the mother of a childhood friend whose father had been a baker making my mother a banket C for her birthday.  220 grams