Anyone ever made Vlaai van Aalst? I've been searching for a recipe that I can follow, but no luck. I posted a request on CHOW three years ago too. I'm jonesing for some Vlaai!
This is the best I've come up with: http://www.gva.be/nieuws/vtm/video/extern-aalsterse-vlaai-is-streekproduct.aspx
Recipezaar used to have one with some bizaar ingredients, but now I see the ingredient list is gone and only the directions remain.
~Mary
Recommended by Food52
3 Comments
Thank you betteirene!! Thank you again and again!
The first time I had Vlaai was in Gent, Belgium. It looked so strange, but it tasted so wonderful! We went back a few years later and I bought a whole cake with the pan it was made in. The vendor really thought we were strange, especially when we asked for the pan with the writing on the side. I even found a better photo.
A million thank yous to you!
I can't wait to make it.
So here's my story: I have a lot of relatives whose last name is "Bruessel," like the city in Belgium, and guess where they're from. . .Wrong. They came here from Nuremburg, Germany, but I inherited a few Belgian, German and Dutch recipes from them and guess what? If what you're jonesing for is something like cinnamon mousse, here's a recipe for Aalsterse Vlaai, with the original measurements and my American substitutions.
1 liter milk (4 cups plus 2 tablespoons)
45 sugar cubes (1/2 cup granulated sugar, but use only 1/4 cup if you're using American glazed donuts)
7 mastellen (or use 10 American yeast-raised glazed donuts), dried by leaving them uncovered on a rack for 24 hours
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon (1 1/2 teaspoons if using American donuts)
1 pinch mace or nutmeg
400 gm Candico Syrup (a brown caramel syrup--you can get it in the US from a store that sells ingredients/supplies to brew your own beer, or you can make your own by melting a cup of sugar in a heavy saucepan and stirring in 1 1/2 cups corn syrup and enough water to bring the level to 2 cups)
Heat the milk and sugar to scalding: remove from the heat and set aside. Grate the mastellen with the large holes of a box grater and stir the crumbs into the hot milk. Beat the eggs until thick and light-colored; add the cinnamon and mace and blend well. Stir the egg-spice mixture into the sugar-milk mixture and beat very well--it should be the consistency of cake or pancake batter. Add the candy syrup and mix well. Pour into a lightly greased glass baking dish or ceramic casserole and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours in at 350 degrees.