Roel van Everdingen of Pâtisserie Jarreau on Van Hoytemastraat in Haagse Hout has baked the best gevulde speculaas in South Holland, according to the national Beko speculaas judging.
Around 300 speculaas products from artisan bakers across the Netherlands were entered.
A professional jury and a consumer jury assessed the entries separately, and Van Everdingen says both were unanimous about his.
Both juries went for the taste, shape, colour and smell, and he also scored highly for appearance, packaging and presentation.
He says he baked no special competition version and simply sent in the shop’s everyday recipe to see how good it really was.
It is not Jarreau’s first prize, but he says it is always good to have it confirmed that what they make really does taste good.
He will only half explain what makes it good: a recipe always stays a little secret, but much comes down to the ratio of dough to filling, the type of filling and how tender it is.
The filling should be smooth, he says, and there has to be plenty of it.
The national title went to a baker in Sleen, in Drenthe, with Pakjesavond still just over seven weeks away.
