Making borstplaat

Name: Making borstplaat
Prep time: 26 min
Total time: 26 min
Yield: approx. 16 pieces
Cuisine: Dutch
Ingredients: 250 g granulated sugar; 75 ml whipping cream; 15 g unsalted butter; 1 tbsp cocoa powder (chocolate); 1 tsp instant coffee (coffee); 1 tbsp strawberry syrup (strawberry); 1 tbsp sunflower oil for greasing

Gepubliceerd op 6 november 2026

Sinterklaas Borstplaat Candy Old-fashioned Gift Vegetarian Dutch Medium

Borstplaat is the oldest Sinterklaas candy we know: sweet, soft sugar discs in cheerful colours and shapes, often hearts or rounds. Making it yourself may seem tricky, but with a thermometer and a bit of patience you can definitely do it. The secret is timing: you cook the sugar and cream to the right temperature and then stir until the mixture becomes dull. With this recipe you can make plain, chocolate, coffee or strawberry.

Recipe

Making borstplaat

Make your own borstplaat from sugar, cream and butter, in the flavors plain, chocolate, coffee and strawberry.

Course	Candy
Kitchen	Dutch
Servings	approx. 16 pieces

Preparation time

Preparation time	1 hour 25 min
Total	1 hour 25 min

Equipment

Saucepan with a heavy bottom
Kitchen thermometer
Wooden spoon
Cooking rings or borstplaat molds
Parchment paper

Ingredients

250 g granulated sugar
75 ml whipping cream
15 g unsalted butter
1 tbsp cocoa powder (chocolate)
1 tsp instant coffee (coffee)
1 tbsp strawberry syrup (strawberry)
1 tbsp sunflower oil for greasing

Prepare

Place a sheet of parchment paper on a board and have greased cooking rings or borstplaat molds ready.
Put the sugar, whipping cream and butter in a saucepan with a heavy bottom. Add the flavouring: cocoa powder, instant coffee or strawberry syrup. For plain, add nothing.
Heat over medium-high and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Then let it simmer gently without stirring until the mixture reaches 115 °C. This takes about 8 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 1 minute. Then stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes thicker, matte and dull.
Spoon the borstplaat directly into the molds and smooth the tops. Work quickly, as the mixture hardens fast.
Let the borstplaat set for 1 hour and then carefully remove it from the molds.

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Tips for perfect borstplaat: a thermometer is your best help. At 115 degrees the sugar mixture is exactly at the right stage; too low and the borstplaat won't set, too high and it becomes grainy and crumbly. No thermometer? Drop a little into a glass of cold water: if you can roll a soft ball from it, it's ready. After cooking, stir vigorously and wait until the shine disappears. That's the moment to scoop quickly.

Molds and storage: no borstplaat molds? Use greased cooking rings or cookie cutters, or pour the mixture into a greased square baking tin and cut into diamonds once it's half set. Borstplaat keeps for two to three weeks in a well-sealed tin. Place sheets of parchment paper between the layers so they don't stick together. In a cellophane bag with a ribbon, homemade borstplaat makes a lovely surprise or a sweet little gift in the shoe.