At the end of the 1930s, De Duif biscuit factory was located in Zoetermeer. The owner, baker Van Holst, came up with the recipe for a unique Zoetermeer cookie, the ‘Wilhelmientje’. Unfortunately, the factory no longer exists and the cookie is nowhere to be found. We now wonder: what kind of cookie was that, that Wilhelmientje?
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The dough for the Wilhelmientjes was a secret recipe. We know it contained sugar, flour, water and salt. But also carbon dioxide. That was apparently the secret of De Duif bakery. The recipe was never published and was lost after the disappearance of the cookie factory in Zoetermeer.
The Wilhelmientje was a very thin cookie that broke easily and was affordable for everyone. The broken cookies were sold to Zoetermeer residents for a few cents on Friday afternoon.
Adjusted recipe
The real recipe will always remain a secret, but pastry chef Cees Holtkamp has tried to make an adapted version. If you want to bake Wilhelmientjes yourself, it is best to follow this recipe:
Ingredients
- 220 grams of soft butter
- 140 grams of white caster sugar
- 4 grams of salt
- 1 egg
- 6 grams of baking powder
- 350 grams of Zeeland flour
Preparation
Mix 220 grams of soft butter with 140 grams of white caster sugar, 4 grams of salt and 1 beaten egg. Knead in 6 grams of baking powder, sifted with 350 grams of Zeeland flour. Let it rest covered for an hour in the refrigerator. Place marble-sized balls of dough with some space between them on a greased baking sheet. Flatten the balls to the thickness of a euro. Bake them for 15 minutes at 160 degrees until golden brown.
Source: Oud Soetermeer
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