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1
Cream the Butter and Sugar
10 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Beat the softened butter with the caster sugar and the vanilla sugar in a large bowl until pale, soft and creamy, about 2 minutes with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer.
Pale and fluffy means air is in — that air is what keeps the cookies light.
Done when: The mix is pale, soft and creamy, with no streaks of sugar.
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2
Mix in the Egg and the Flour
5 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Beat in the egg and the salt, then sieve the flour and cornstarch over the bowl and mix with a spoon. Finish by kneading briefly with your fingertips, about 5 minutes, until you have one smooth, even dough. Do not knead longer, or the dough turns leathery.
Fingertips, not palms — warm hands melt the butter and make the dough greasy.
Done when: The dough is smooth, even and soft, and holds together when pressed.
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3
Rest the Dough
3 Hours
Warm place, about 25°C (77°F)
Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rest in a warm place for about 3 hours, so the flour hydrates and the dough relaxes enough to roll without springing back.
A turned-off oven with the light on is a good warm spot.
Done when: The dough is relaxed, pliable and easy to roll.
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4
Roll Out and Cut the Hands
15 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Flour the work surface lightly, press the dough flat with your palms and roll it out about 1 cm thick. Cut out hand shapes with a hand-shaped cutter, or cut around a paper hand template with a small knife, trimming four fingers and a thumb. Lay the hands on lined baking trays, leaving a little space between them.
Cut the fingers cleanly and a little wide — thin fingers snap off when the tray moves.
Done when: 24 neat hand shapes lie flat on the trays, fingers intact.
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5
Glaze and Scatter the Almonds
5 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Brush the top of each hand lightly with the beaten egg white and scatter flaked almonds over it. For plain handjes, as in the photograph, skip the almonds and brush with egg white alone for a gentle shine.
A light brush is enough — a puddle of egg white makes the tops spotty.
Done when: Each hand carries a thin shine and a scattering of almond flakes, or a plain glaze.
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6
Bake Until Golden
15 Mins
180°C (350°F)
Bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 15 minutes, until the handjes are golden brown at the edges and crisp. They firm up as they cool, so take them out while the centres still look a touch pale.
Golden edges, pale centres — that is the line between crisp and burnt.
Done when: The edges are golden brown, the fingers are set, and the kitchen smells of butter and vanilla.
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7
Cool on a Wire Rack
10 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Leave the handjes on the tray for 5 minutes, then lift them onto a wire rack to cool completely. They are fragile while warm, so move them with a flat spatula.
Do not stack warm cookies — they stick and go soft.
Done when: The cookies are cold, crisp at the edges and tender inside, and the hands hold their shape.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Eat Antwerpse handjes the Antwerp way: two hands with a black coffee, dunked at the edge and bitten before they break — or pack them in a box, the way the city has given them away since 1934.
Belgium
1h
