Dutch Christmas Traditions : Sinterklaas & Pepernoten

Dutch Christmas Celebration.

In Holland, Saint Nicholas goes by the name of Sinterklaas. He actually arrives in the Netherlands by boat in mid-November and races around the country, visiting every town in just one afternoon. On 5 December, children must leave their shoes out near the chimney before bed with a note or drawing inside and sing songs to Sinterklaas. If they have been good his Dutch helpers, the Pieten will visit their homes to leave presents and perhaps some of these yummy biscuits called Pepernoten, or spice nuts.  If you would like to enjoy this Dutch delicacy, here’s the recipe, which has been especially passed on by Sinterklaas or Santa as we call him.

PEPERNOTEN

Makes 50 – 60 biscuits

What you need

150g honey

100g soft brown sugar

300g rye flour

1 ½ tsps. salt

2 tsps. ground aniseed

25ml water

10g baking powder, sifted

Sunflower oil, for greasing

1.   Place the honey in a pan and gently heat. Take the pan off the heat; stir in the sugar and rye flour. Once it’s created a dough, turn the heat off and let the dough cool a little then carefully knead.

2.   Add the salt, aniseed, water and baking powder. Knead the dough again. Add a splash more water if the dough is too dry. Then put in a bowl and cover with Clingfilm. Let the dough rest for 1 day at room temperature.

3.   Preheat oven to 180C/gas 4. Grease your hand with a little sunflower oil and take small pieces of dough and roll into marble size balls.  Put the balls in a greased cake tin and bake in oven for 20 minutes. Once cooked, simple tear the Pepernoten apart.

Enjoy! And should you decide to make this a Christmas your family will never forget then you could always visit Santa in his Lapland home and take him some Pepernoten!