Learn to make these kruidnootjes, small speculaas treats that are typically enjoyed during Sinterklaas in The Netherlands. The spice mixture added to these small speculoos cookies gives them such a fantastic flavor and aroma! When you’re baking these, it will fill your kitchen with such a great smell, that you probably won’t be able to wait until they’re completely cooled!
Growing up, at Sinterklaasavond, as we were busy being overwhelmed by the anticipation of gifts, Sinterklaas would “Strooi” (toss) kruidnootjes in the room. They’d fly through the air, always catching us by surprise. We never saw him doing it, and we could never figure out how he did it, but we’d be on our hands-and-knees, picking up the goodies of the floor! Even as an adult, December is not complete without me snacking on some kruidnootjes. Although, since moving to the United States, Sinterklaas sends them by mail, rather than tossing them into the room. As an adult, I appreciate not having to clean that up!!
Ingredients
- 250 g Self-rising flour
- 125 g Brown sugar
- 125 g Unsalted Butter Room Temperature
- 0.25 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Speculaaskruiden
- 1 dash Anise powder
- 3 tbsp Milk
NUTRITION
Disclaimer
Nutrition Facts provided are a calculated estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Instructions
Making the dough
- In a bowl, knead together all the ingredients, except the milk.
- Add a little bit of milk at a time, and knead it through. Once the dough comes together, you are done. For me, it's typically around 2tbsp.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it sit in the fridge for at least [cooked-timer minutes=30]30 minutes[/cooked timer].
Making the kruidnootjes
- Line a cookie sheet with some parchment paper.
- Use a ¼tsp of dough, and roll it into a small ball. Lay it on the cookie sheet, and flatten it a little bit (not too much!)
- Repeat until you've used up all the dough. Make sure you leave space between them, they will spread a little bit.Put the sheet of kruidnootjes in the fridge while the oven preheats.
Baking the kruidnootjes
- Preheat your oven to 180ºC (350F) in non-convection mode.
- Bake the kruidnootjes for 15-20 minutes.
- Let them cool on a rack.
