In order to meet the requirements of a new customer, the SmaakWarenhuis in Breda with my 'Do it yourself' Jars, I had to find a replacement for the chocolate. Cocoa simply does not grow in the Low Countries.
Rachel and Roos had already completely filled the jars over the weekend. Only the top layer with walnuts needed to be added. I had bought a professional walnut cracker and I was ready to crack those nuts. Two evenings in front of the TV with a bowl of walnuts on my lap yielded exactly 450 gr of peeled walnuts. So just over 10%.
While I was baking gingerbread the day before the delivery, friend Jan Paul van Woensel called. He asked: Can I pick up three of those cookie mix jars from you? Because a colleague of mine would like to have them. Of course, just come over. At half past five Jan Paul was still dressed in his suit, after a day's work at KPMG in my kitchen. "While we're chatting, would you like to help crack these funny nuts in the meantime?" Yes, no problem said Jan Paul. I have until half past eight and he already took off his jacket. Awesome!
After we had cracked together for 3 hours, only a quarter of the 12 kilos had been done. With the remark of the grower still in my head “they peeled in no time”, we both concluded that it would be night work for me. If I could make it on my own. The jars had to be in Breda at half past 9 in the morning.
The pots arrived in Breda right on time and they looked great. The golden yellow walnuts shone in the spotlights of the Smaakwarenhuis. After two hours I received a text message from Sandra from the Smaakwarenhuis. “The first 20 jars have already been sold!”. In the end, all 75 jars were gone within a day! Could I bring another 75 jars? Naturally…