Pepernoten

 

 

A special treat for our kids (and us) in de 3 weeks before Sinterklaas (Dec 5th) is Pepernoten.

Children get them in there shoes if they been good and sing a song for Sinterklaas.

Sometimes they even get a little present in there shoe.

But the big bang is when on Dec. 5th Sinterklaas or Zwarte Piet, knocks on the door.

He will be gone before you have opened the door, but he left a whole mountain of presents.

 

1/2 cup Flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp speculaaskruiden

pinch of salt

 

Preheat the oven to 160/320 degrees.

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix everything with your hands to a nice firm dough.

Prepare a baking plate. make little marbles of dough, place them evenly on the sheet and make them a little flat with your thump. (mine, on the photo are a little to big)

Bake them for about 15 minutes, till they are light brown en done.

 

Enjoy your pepernoten.

 

 

 according to our oldest daughter I didn't make enough :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home made Speculaaskruiden:

Spices used for Speculaas (a Dutch cookie).

Speculaas blend (Speculaaskruiden)

30 gr cinnamon (kaneel),

5 gr cloves (kruidnagel),

5 gr nutmeg (nootmuskaat),

3 gr white peppercorn (witte peper),

3 gr ginger powder (gemberpoeder),

1 gr cardamom seeds (from the green pods) (kardemomzaadjes).

Grind in a coffee grinder or mortar.

Speculaas Cupcakes with Almond Frosting (Vegan)

In Holland we have Sinterklaas on December 5th. (Click here for the meaning of Sinterklaas.)

We eat a lot of pepernoten, little Dutch cookies (which I will bake for you next week).

I deceided to make some nice cupcakes with speculaas kruiden, also a traditional cookie for this time of year.

For those of you who want to know more about speculaas, please read this post, a lovely girl explains speculaas in English, which I couldn't have done beter.

 

 

 

Speculaas cupcakes:

1 1/2 cup self rising flour

1 tsp speculaaskruiden (Verstegen or Homemade, see end of topic)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown caster sugar

1 egg (Egg Replacer)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup oil

4 tbsn water (you can also use milk)

 

Mix all in a bowl en mix untill smooth. Than put everything in a prepared cupcake pan with liners.

The cupcakes are ready when the toothpick comes out dry.

 

 

 

Almond frosting

1/4 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup soymilk 

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

pinch of salt

 

First,  in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the sugar, flour, salt together. Add the milk and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally until the mixture has thickened into a paste and slightly bubbly at edges.

Then transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter; beat until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.

For decoration, I sprinkled some speculaas with almonds cookie crumbles on top.

 

 

 

 

Home made Speculaaskruiden:

Spices used for Speculaas (a Dutch cookie).

Speculaas blend (Speculaaskruiden)

30 gr cinnamon (kaneel),

5 gr cloves (kruidnagel),

5 gr nutmeg (nootmuskaat),

3 gr white peppercorn (witte peper),

3 gr ginger powder (gemberpoeder),

1 gr cardamom seeds (from the green pods) (kardemomzaadjes).

Grind in a coffee grinder or mortar.