Lierse vlaaike

Lierse vlaaike is a small spiced pie from the town of Lier, near Antwerp. Until recently, it wasn’t sold anywhere outside Lier, which made it a rare treat. The vlaaikes are made from a sturdy pastry, rolled paper-thin and filled with a sweet spiced mixture thickened by breadcrumbs.

The nature of these vlaaikes tells me they are based on an old recipe, but Lierse vlaaike only appears in print in the 19th century. The vlaaikes were immortalised by the writer Felix Timme