Choose a ready-made kano biscuit if you want to use a baked biscuit filled with almond paste and add your own dark chocolate. If you also want to decide on the shape and filling, making them entirely from scratch is a better fit, but it takes more preparation and equipment. The kano biscuits described by Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS are plain butter biscuits; the stated cocoa percentage for Verkade Kookchocolade 71% applies to the chocolate itself, not to the biscuit.
If knowing the cocoa percentage matters to you, check the chocolate you add. Verkade states that its Kookchocolade contains 71% cocoa; this percentage tells you nothing about the ingredients of a separately purchased kano biscuit.
If you mainly want to serve or decorate a biscuit filled with almond paste, you can use a ready-baked kano biscuit as your base. The biscuits described by Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS are not dough or filling that you can use to shape the biscuit yourself.
Check the current packaging for both the biscuit and any chocolate you plan to use. Ingredients and allergen information vary by product; for the kano biscuits described here, wheat, milk, egg, soya and almonds are among the allergens to look out for.
First, decide whether you want to finish a ready-made kano biscuit or bake one yourself. Then check the chocolate and the labels of all the products you plan to use together.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Dark chocolate flavour | Check the cocoa percentage on the chocolate itself. The percentage on a chocolate bar does not apply to the kano biscuit. | If I want to taste dark chocolate in particular, I want to know which chocolate I’m adding. Around 50% of consumers put checking the chocolate flavour first. |
| Ready-made or homemade | Choose between a ready-baked kano biscuit as a base and a recipe that uses dough, almond paste and kano baking rings. | If I want to make a dessert without preparing biscuit dough, I want a kano biscuit I can use as a base straight away. Around 30% of consumers put spending less time on preparation first. |
| Allergens | Check the ingredients, listed allergens and any may-contain warnings on the current packaging of each product. | If I need to avoid an allergen, the label determines which products are suitable. This is the top purchasing priority for around 20% of consumers. |
Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS describe the kano biscuits mentioned here as biscuits filled with almond paste. The word ‘kano’ alone tells you nothing about the chocolate or cocoa content.
If you want to add your own dark chocolate, choose it separately and check the cocoa percentage on the packaging.
The ingredients and allergen information that matter for your purchase are on the packaging you receive. This is particularly important when combining a kano biscuit with chocolate.
Check both labels again before use, even if you’ve bought the products before.
A ready-made kano biscuit doesn’t let you decide on the shape and filling during baking. Heel Holland Bakt’s recipe for homemade kano biscuits uses dough, almond paste and kano baking rings, among other things.
Decide in advance whether you simply want to finish a ready-made biscuit or bake the kano entirely from scratch.
Albert Heijn describes its 270 g Butter Kano Biscuits as butter biscuits containing 41% almond paste and 1% almonds.
Jumbo describes its 275 g Butter Kano Biscuits as butter biscuits containing 38% almond paste.
PLUS describes its 275 g Butter Kano Biscuits as crisp biscuits with almond paste and an almond decoration.
Lidl describes Sondey Kano Biscuits, 325 g, as butter biscuits filled with almond paste.
Verkade is relevant here for its chocolate, not as a brand of the kano biscuits described. Verkade states that its Kookchocolade 71% contains at least 71% cocoa.
Check whether chocolate is listed as an ingredient or part of the product, and look for a cocoa percentage if that matters to your choice. The kano biscuits described by Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS are filled with almond paste; their descriptions don’t indicate that they’re dark chocolate varieties.
Yes, if you want to use a baked biscuit filled with almond paste as a base or decorate it yourself. If you also want to decide on the dough, shape and filling, you’ll need a recipe for homemade kano biscuits rather than a ready-made biscuit.
Read the current labels on both the biscuits and the chocolate, including any warnings about possible traces. Wheat, milk, egg, soya and almonds are among the allergens to look out for in the kano biscuits described here; the exact information varies by product.
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging of the kano biscuits you buy. Albert Heijn advises storing its Butter Kano Biscuits in a cool, dry place and putting them in an airtight tin after opening. Check the packaging of any separate chocolate too.
