Learn how to make this traditional Dutch Sinterklaas cookie, Taai taai. A chewy honey spice cookie. This cookie has a lovely warming flavor, with anise, the speculaas spices, and of course the honey. You need to plan ahead for these cookies, as you make a starter dough from rye flour that needs to sit and rest for at least one day. After you’ve made the starter dough, this is a great cookie to make together with your kids!
We eat these in November and December, specifically around the Sinterklaas holiday.
For some reason, these are not typically around the rest of the year. Taaitaai is a cookie unlike any other, where it’s slightly tough and chewy, but the flavor is absolutely fantastic.
TaaiTaai: Traditional Dutch Holiday Chewy Honey Spice Cookie
Learn how to make this traditional Dutch Sinterklaas cookie, Taai taai. A chewy honey spice cookie. This cookie has a lovely warming flavor, with anise, the speculaas spices, and of course the honey. You need to plan ahead for these cookies, as you make a starter dough from rye flour that needs to sit and rest for at least one day. After you've made the starter dough, this is a great cookie to make together with your kids!
In a heat proof mixing bowl, combine the salt and flour. Stir well.
In a saucepan, combine the honey, brown sugar, and water.
Over medium heat, stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
Once the liquid is boiling, pour it over the flour. Careful, this is VERY hot!
Stir everything together, until the flour is completely Incorporated.
This will create a very sticky dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it sit at room temperature for at least 1 day.
Making the final dough
Get your stand mixer with a dough hook ready.
Break the starter dough into small pieces, and put those in the mixer's bowl.
Add the honey, brown sugar, baking powder, speculaaskruiden, ground anise, and water to the bowl.
Run the mixer at a low speed, until the dough comes together into a ball.
This is a really tough dough, so your mixer may struggle with this. You can help it along with a spatula or wooden spoon.
Shaping and finishing the taaitaai cookies
Preheat your oven to 200ºC (390F) in non-convection
Dust your work surface with flour, and roll the dough out to a 5mm (¼") thickness. This is a really tough dough to roll out. You'll have to put some effort into it!
Note: this may roll out larger than your work surface; it's OK to split the dough into two even portions, and roll them out separately.
Cut the sheet of dough into shapes. You can simply cut them into rectangles, or use cookie cutters to cut them into more elaborate shapes. If you're lucky enough to have a real taaitaai sinterklaas mould, you should definitely use that!
Place them on a lined cookie sheet. You want to keep some space in between.
If there are any trimmings, you can knead those together, and roll it out, so you can cut more cookies from it.
Lightly brush them with egg wash.
You can add some pearl sugar on top of the cookies, if you'd like.
Put the sheet in the oven for 8-10 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through.
Hi Toine,
When you were trying to get the honey out of your measure cup, i noticed you were having that clinging difficulty that honey and sweet syrups present.
A wonderful and simply trick to cause that flow of honey to be very smooth is it lightly spray or rub oil on the inside of your measuring container. Do that and you will waste no more honey and have accurate measure of syrup/honey actually IN your recipe rather than stuck to the cup or spoon. This will in no way adversely affect your recipe.
You will love that trick!
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Hi Toine,
When you were trying to get the honey out of your measure cup, i noticed you were having that clinging difficulty that honey and sweet syrups present.
A wonderful and simply trick to cause that flow of honey to be very smooth is it lightly spray or rub oil on the inside of your measuring container. Do that and you will waste no more honey and have accurate measure of syrup/honey actually IN your recipe rather than stuck to the cup or spoon. This will in no way adversely affect your recipe.
You will love that trick!
Thanks! ill give that a try!