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Bossche bol

Bossche bol: 's-Hertogenbosch giant choux bun filled with cream and dipped in chocolate

The Bossche bol is the famous pastry of 's-Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch) in North Brabant: a choux bun the size of a tennis ball, filled to bursting with lightly sweetened whipped cream and dipped in glossy dark chocolate. Bakeries like Jan de Groot sell them by the thousand, and you eat it with your hands, leaning over the plate. A common mistake is taking the choux out too early, which makes it collapse. Chef's tip: bake until deep golden, then pierce the base and return to the switched-off oven for 10 minutes to dry out.
Total time
60 min
Difficulty
medium
Serves
8
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Ingredients

Serves8

For the choux

  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup milk
  • 3 ½ oz butter
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 5 ½ oz plain flour
  • 4 eggsbeaten

For the filling

For the coating

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Method

0/6 done
  1. Step 1: Heat the oven to 400°F (fan 350°F). Bring ½ cup water, ½ cup milk, 3 ½ oz butter and 1 pinch salt to the boil. Tip in 5 ½ oz plain flour and beat over a low heat for 1–2 minutes, until the dough comes away from the pan.

    3 min
  2. Step 2: Cool for 5 minutes, then beat in 4 eggs a little at a time until glossy and the dough drops slowly from a spoon.

  3. Step 3: Pipe or spoon 8 large mounds on lined trays. Bake for 30 minutes without opening the oven, until deep golden. Common mistake: taking them out early; they collapse.

    30 min
  4. Step 4: Pierce the base of each, return to the switched-off oven for 10 minutes, then cool.

  5. Step 5: Whip 2 cups double cream with 2 tbsp icing sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract to soft peaks. Pipe into the buns through the hole until full.

  6. Step 6: Melt 7 oz dark chocolate with ⅔ oz butter and dip the top of each bun. Chill 15 minutes and eat the same day.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
420 kcal
Protein
6 g
Carbs
24 g
Fat
34 g
Fibre
1 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does bossche bol take?
About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
What can I use instead of milk?
Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
What can I use instead of butter?
The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).

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