Dutch Treats…

Now that Sinterklaas has arrived in the Netherlands, children across the country are anticipating the various Dutch treats he’ll bring them.  If they’ve been good children throughout the year, Sint brings cookies, candies and toys.

Though modern candy making processes have added new treats to the mix, many of the historically traditional confections have remained, and are still enjoyed by young and old. Traditional Dutch treats and sweets include:

Taaitaai – From the Dutch word taai for tough, this chewy, bread-like biscuit is made from rye flour, aniseed, cinnamon, clove and honey.

Pepernoten – Literally translated as ‘pepper nuts’, these small bread-like nuggets, are sometimes made from leftover bits of taaitaai dough.

Kruidnoten – Often confused with pepernoten perhaps because of the similarity in name, kruidnoten are small, spicy, and crispy cookies.  Their spicy-ness comes from a blend of speculaaskruiden, customarily cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger, cardamom and white pepper.  Sometimes coated in dark, milk or white chocolate, kruidnoten are really popular treats!

Speculaas – Flat and crispy, these sweet and spicy cookies are similar to gingerbread.  Speculaas are made with a blend of the appropriately named speculaaskruiden and typically have an image stamped into the top of the cookie – most commonly a windmill or images representing the holiday season.

Amandelstaaf and Banketletters – These are butter pastries filled with amandelspijs, a sweetened almond paste similar to marzipan.  The amandelstaaf are made in the shape of a staff, representing the bishop’s crosier or pastoral staff carried by Sinterklaas.  The banketletters are made in the shape of letters for spelling out messages or as initials…

…Which brings us to the most popular of the Dutch holiday treats…

Chocolate Letters – These are just what you’d imagine, letters of the alphabet…made of chocolate!  The most common letter is ‘S’ for Sinterklaas, though the custom is for children to receive the first initial of their name. These rich chocolate bars are made in various sizes and are available in milk, dark or white chocolate, with or without decorative icings.

What are your favorite fall/winter holiday treats or traditions? We’d like to know.  Post your response in the comments section below.

Check out our post on Sinterklaas 


2 Comments

  1. I get a kick out of learning other traditions’ sweets and treats–thank you for sharing!

  2. Mikestravelguide

    Hi Charu, We’re glad you enjoyed the post. We also plan on sharing more traditions, from neighboring counties, so check back soon. Thanks for your comment.

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