Although Rusty and Kit didn’t write about the treats they ate while in Brussels or Bruge, one of my Belgian friends gave me this recipe for a typical Belgian dessert, Gateau Aux Petits Beurres.
Here is her recipe and photos of my efforts. The cake, while impressive to look at, is easy to make and delicious to eat. What are petits beurres? They are those rectangular crisp butter cookies that soften when dunked in a glass of milk or a cup of coffee. Though made by a French company, LU, they are found in most U.S. grocery stores.
Gâteau Aux Petits Beurres
Ingredients:
- 14 ounces petits beurres
- 2 cups warm milk
- 2 sticks butter
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, separated
- 2/3 cup sugar
- additional chocolate for topping
Method:
1. Melt together the butter, 5 ounces of chocolate, and sugar in a saucepan until smooth. Let the mixture cool off a bit so that it thickens some.
2. Dip the petit beurres in the warm milk, two at a time. They should be soft, but not falling apart.
3. In a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, layer the softened petits beurres, then pour a layer of the chocolate mixture. Repeat the layers of petits beurres dipped in milk and the chocolate mixture until the pan is filled.
4. Cool in your fridge for several hours.
5. When cooled, use a knife to loosen the edges and remove the cake from the pan and place the cake upside down on a platter.
6. Melt the additional chocolate (another 5 ounces or so). Pour over the top and sides of the cake and cool again in the fridge. Enjoy!
Read more about the travels of Rusty and Kit in The Tucker – Tyler Adventure.
Recipe courtesy Brigitte Seeley.
The Tucker ~ Tyler Adventure 