Philip's Biscuits

Treat yourself to a Mechelen city biscuit at Philip’s Biscuits

Especially for Mmm... Mechelen, the bakers at Philip’s Biscuits have breathed new life into the forgotten Mechelen city biscuit. Try this sweet taste bomb made of flour, butter, eggs, sugar, honey and almonds. All these ingredients were in regular use in the Renaissance.

Mechelen biscuits that wouldn’t look out of place on Margaret’s table

Mustachollen are Mechelen city biscuits that, according to oral tradition, were already popular in the Middle Ages. They were made with almonds, honey and rose water. For Mmm ... Mechelen Philip’s Biscuits is honouring the traditional recipe by making a version ‘2.0’, without rose water, but with a special type of almond, rich in flavour. What’s more, there’s something irresistible about that new Mechelen city biscuit, because once you’ve eaten one, you’ll keep coming back for more.

‘Almonds came on ships from Spain to our regions. They were a real luxury product for princes and nobles. Sugar was even more exclusive. Sugarcane, originating in India, was also cultivated in the early 16th century on subtropical islands such as Madeira, the Canary Islands and São Tomé off the coast of Africa. For the first time, European plantation owners used African slaves to squeeze the lucrative sweet stuff out of the reeds. Almonds and sugar together make marzipan. Marzipan figurines were a very exclusive gift and adorned the tables at banquets. There were also crunchy biscuits made from the same ingredients and expensive flavours. They were called amandelaten, suickerynen and muscefoelen. In the Mechelen vernacular they were called mustachollen, which according to legend were brought from Italy to Mechelen by two Franciscans. St Francis of Assisi was said to have loved them. And who are we to argue with that?’

 

Jeroen Van Vaerenbergh, The Food Archaeologist

Biscuits with a story

Baker Maxim Painblanc: ‘For Mmm ... Mechelen, three things come together: taste, history and the love for city and region. And that’s what we do at Philip’s Biscuits too. In our range you will find nostalgic, sweet classics that we refine in taste with as many local ingredients as possible. The ideal combination to treat yourself and others. We have previously worked with The Food Archaeologist on a gingerbread project. We loved experimenting with old recipes so much that we didn’t want to let this opportunity pass.’

Artisanal biscuit bakery

Talking heads, cat tongues, butter letters with marzipan,... Philip’s Biscuits has bags full of fun. What is master baker Maxim’s favourite? ‘Our almond bread. A wafer-thin, crispy biscuit with refined candy sugar and almonds.’

Grote Markt is a must-see

'You will find us on the corner of the Grote Markt and Bruul. To my mind, that’s the most beautiful place in the city. It’s always bursting with life. When the sun is shining, the terraces are buzzing. And you get the best view of St. Rumbold’s Cathedral.’