If you’re making a recipe with children that involves chopping or melting chocolate, choose the type and amount of chocolate specified in the recipe. Canoe cakes are ready-to-eat treats; a chocolate gift box is better for giving or sharing. For all three types of product, check the current packaging for ingredients and allergens.
If your recipe calls for chocolate, choose an ingredient that you can chop or melt in the required amount. For example, a biscuit recipe from Albert Heijn Allerhande uses 150 g of 72% dark chocolate; Verkade describes its cooking chocolate as having easily broken-off pieces.
If you want something to give or share without baking first, a ready-made gift box is a good choice. The Merci Gift Box described by Albert Heijn contains 32 individually wrapped chocolate bars.
Canoe cakes are ideal as a treat after baking or with a cup of coffee. The varieties described by Albert Heijn and PLUS are filled butter biscuits, not chocolate to use as an ingredient in a recipe.
First decide whether you want to make a recipe, give a gift or serve biscuits straight away. That will determine which product details matter to you.
Choose this if: your recipe calls for chocolate to be chopped or melted.
Bear in mind: it’s an ingredient, not a ready-made treat. An adult should handle the hot melting stage.
Choose this if: you want to give a gift or share individual portions.
Bear in mind: an assortment of different flavours isn’t a direct substitute for the type of chocolate specified in a recipe.
Choose these if: you want to serve a ready-made filled biscuit.
Bear in mind: a canoe cake won’t replace the chocolate in a baking recipe.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate for a recipe | Compare the type and amount of chocolate required with the packaging. Check the allergens. | When I bake with children, I want the chocolate to match what the recipe calls for. For around 50% of consumers, this need takes priority. |
| A gift to share | Check the number of individually wrapped pieces, the varieties and the allergens. | For a thank-you gift, I want to give something that doesn’t need preparing. Around 30% of consumers prioritise this need for a gift. |
| Biscuits to serve straight away | Check the filling, number of portions, allergens and storage advice for the canoe cakes you choose. | After an activity, I want to put a filled biscuit straight on the table. For around 20% of consumers, serving something immediately is the main reason for their choice. |
A canoe cake is a ready-to-eat filled biscuit. It won’t necessarily give you the type or amount of chocolate specified in a recipe.
Read the recipe before you shop. Buy the right chocolate for baking, and choose canoe cakes only if you also want to serve biscuits.
A box containing different chocolates and fillings may include several allergens. The Merci Gift Box described by Albert Heijn contains milk, hazelnut, almond and soya, among other ingredients; it may also contain peanuts and egg.
Check the ingredients and warnings on the current packaging for the recipient, even if you’re planning to share the box with children.
Verkade describes its Kookchocolade 71% as chocolate for melting.
Albert Heijn offers AH Roomboter kano's, chocolate gifts and published baking recipes.
The Merci Gift Box described by Albert Heijn is an assortment for giving or sharing.
PLUS describes its butter canoe cake as a ready-to-eat biscuit with almond paste.
ALDI describes Heerlijck Banket Kano's as canoe-shaped pastries to serve straight away.
This gift pack is a good choice if you want to give or share chocolate. When baking together, use the type and amount of chocolate specified in the recipe.
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A chocolate gift for giving or sharing, not a substitute for the type of chocolate specified in a recipe.
Pack weight: 288 g. Before sharing, check the ingredients and allergens on the current packaging.
Not if the recipe calls for chocolate as an ingredient. AH Roomboter kano's are ready-to-eat filled biscuits, whereas a chocolate biscuit recipe from Albert Heijn Allerhande specifies 150 g of dark chocolate separately. You could serve canoe cakes after baking, or use them in your baking only if the recipe you’ve chosen specifically calls for them.
Choose a chocolate gift box if you want to give a present or share chocolate. The Merci Gift Box described by Albert Heijn contains 32 individually wrapped bars; when baking, the type and amount of chocolate in the recipe should guide your choice.
Check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging you buy, including any warnings about traces. The canoe cake varieties described contain, among other things, cereals containing gluten, egg, milk, soya or almond. The Merci Gift Box described contains milk, hazelnut, almond and soya, among other ingredients, and may contain peanuts and egg.
Follow the storage advice on the packaging you choose. Albert Heijn recommends storing the butter canoe cakes described in a cool, dry place and putting them in a sealed tin after opening; the Merci Gift Box described should be kept away from heat.
