Boerenjongens

My family in Indiana will appreciate this.  

The photo was taken in the Fries Museum in Leeuwarden and shows a series of silver punch bowls used throughout Friesland in the 19^th century.  These particular bowls are very rare and very ornate and belonged to the few remaining estate holders, a group of wealthy Fryslanders that moved from Fryslan to the Haag or whose families simply died out in the mid and late 1800’s.  Every Frysk family, no matter how rich or poor, had a silver punch bowl, however, that came out for special occasions.  I couldn’t understand why the punch bowls were so small; they couldn’t have held more than 2-3 cups of punch.  Then I read a little further and giggled with awe.  The punch bowls had been filled with raisins and the raisins had been covered in brandy and soaked for weeks before the party.  Guests used tiny spoons to scoop up the potent raisins during the celebration.  This is exactly what happened in my famiy’s homes in Indiana some 100 or so years later when the boerenjongens were brought out for Christmas celebrations.  I still prepare them sometimes.  So yummy.