History

Pastry chef Jos Hakker created the Antwerpse handje in 1934 as a tribute to the Brabo legend. The Roman soldier Silvius Brabo cut off the giant Druon Antigoon's hand and threw it into the Schelde; the act of hand-throwing in Dutch, hand werpen, gave the city its name. The biscuit was declared Antwerp's official cookie. Hakker's granddaughter still endorses Philip's Biscuits as closest to the original recipe.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Tree nuts (almonds)

Make it at home

Yield Makes 24 cookiesHands-on 45 minTotal 2 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 250g unsalted butter, softened
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 400g plain flour
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 100g sliced almonds
  • 1 egg yolk for brushing
  • Pinch of salt

Method

  1. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  2. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined.
  3. Fold in the flour and salt to form a soft dough. Chill 1 hour wrapped in cling film.
  4. Roll the dough out to 6mm thick on a floured surface.
  5. Cut hand shapes using a stencil or shaped cutter (about 8cm tall).
  6. Brush each hand with egg yolk and press sliced almonds onto the surface.
  7. Bake at 175C for 12 to 14 minutes until pale golden at the edges.
  8. Cool on a wire rack before storing in an airtight tin.

Tip from the editors. For the chocolate-shell version, dip the cooled cookies in tempered Belgian dark chocolate and let set on parchment.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat antwerpse handjes

Antwerpse Handjes in Antwerp

Philip's Biscuits ★ 4.3

theaterbuurtMon-Sat 10:00-18:00, plus first Sunday of each month 12:00-18:00

Philip's Biscuits in Antwerp bakes hand-shaped butter cookies on Korte Gasthuisstraat. A tin runs eight euros and lasts most of a week.

Try: Antwerpse handjes butter cookies

Tip: The tin doubles as the canonical Antwerp souvenir; the chocolate-coated version packs flatter for travel.

Korte Gasthuisstraat 39, 2000 Antwerp

DelRey ★ 4.5

diamantwijkTue-Sat 09:00-18:30, closed Sun-Mon

DelRey in Antwerp on Appelmansstraat sells chocolate-shell Antwerpse handjes from the family-run chocolatier counter. The recipe predates World War II.

Try: Antwerpse handjes in chocolate

Tip: The chocolate-shell tin is the canonical Antwerp souvenir; small and packs flat for travel.

Appelmansstraat 5, 2018 Antwerp

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