Lola’s Kitchen: “Kruidnootjes” Recipe

Posted December 4, 2015 by Lola in Lola's Kitchen / 20 Comments

Lola’s Kitchen is a feature on Lola’s Reviews where I talk about all things related to food, cooking and baking. These posts can be recipe posts, tens list posts about food or recipes or more discussion type posts about food. I love cooking and spend some time in the kitchen almost every day, so I wanted to give it a place on my blog as well. The banner for this feature is designed by Michelle from Limabean Designs.

Here in the Netherlands we celebrate “Sinterklaas” on 5 December, it’s mostly a festivity for smaller children, but there’s lots of candy you can only buy around this time of the year. One of my favourite Sinterklaas candies is Kruidnootjes, so I thought I would give it a try and make them myself and then share the recipe with you all.

I decided not to translate “Kruidnootjes” as there isn’t really a good translation for it, literally translated it would be something like Spiced Nuts, which doesn’t really give the right feel. Basically “Kruidnootjes” are very small, round cookies and they taste like spices, mainly cinnamon. Here in the Netherlands you can buy “Speculaas Kruiden” which is the spice mix used to make kruidnootjes, although I also will include a description of how to make this spice mix yourself for those of you who live outside the Netherlands and can’t buy “Speculaas Kruiden”. When I first made “Kruidnootjes” myself I was surprised at how easy it is to make. It only takes a few steps and there isn’t much chance to mess it up. And they taste even better than the storebrought variety.

A bit more about Sinterklaas. Sinterklaas traditionally arrives in the Netherlands with his helpers the “Zwarte Pieten” each year in mid-November (the first Saturday after 11 November) by steamboat from Spain. He then parades through the streets on his horse, welcomed by children cheering and singing traditional Sinterklaas songs. He stays in the Netherlands for a few weeks till his birthday on 5 december when he gives present to the children. If you want to know more about Sinterklaas, you can read this interview on Read Me Away, as she interviewed me last year about sinterklaas.

This recipe is based on Allerhand their Peppernoten recipe (dutch recipe).

Kruidnootjes close up

Ingredients

  • Flour – 250 gram/ 2 cups
  • Dark Brown Sugar – 125 gram/ 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons
  • Butter – 150 gram/ 1/2 cup and 5 tablespoons
  • Baking powder – 1 teaspoon
  • Milk – 4 tablespoons
  • “Speculaas Kruiden”/ speculaas spices, speculoos spices or dutch spice mix in English – 12 gram/ 5 tablespoons
  • Salt – a pinch

My apologies for the weird measurements as it was a dutch recipe with measurements in grams, it turns out a bit weird when converting to cups and tablespoons. This recipe makes about two baking trays filled with “Kruidnootjes”. You can make the speculaas spice mix yourself by combining the following spices: 8 teaspoons cinnamon, 2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon cloves, 1 teaspoon cardemon, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon coriander powder and 1 teaspoon anise powder.
kruidnootjes Ingredients

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celcius/ 320 degrees fahrenheit.
  2. In a big bowl add the butter (make sure it’s cold/ cool, don’t melt it!), sugar, “Speculaas Kruiden”, baking powder and flour. Knead it with your hands till well combined. It will be a bit crumbly now and doesn’t stick well together.
  3. Now add the 4 tablespoons milk and knead the dough well. After mixing you should be able to make a big round ball of dough and it should stick together pretty well. As a test if your dough is right, tear of a small piece and try and roll it in the form of a ball on your hands. If it doens’t break apart your dough is good. If it crumbles apart, add a little bit more milk.
  4. Put a baking sheet on a baking tray for the oven. Pick a small amount of dough and roll it betwene your hands till a small round ball. Put it on the baking sheet and repeat till the baking tray is filled.
  5. Bake the “Kruidnootjes” in the oven for 15 minutes, then remove the tray from the oven and let cool down.
  6. You can store the “Kruidnootjes” in an airtight container for about 3-5 days max.

Pictures

Ingredients dough

Crumble dough

add milk

Kruidnootjes dough

Kruidnootjes before oven

kruidnootjes after oven

Variation Tips

  • Chocolate covered “Kruidnootjes”. Make the “Kruidnootjes” as specified in the recipe. After the “Kruidnootjes” have cooled down, melt some chocole, dip the “Kruidnootjes” in the chocolate and place on a plate covered with baking powder, put them in the fridge for a bit so the chocolate get’s hard and then eat them.
  • Icing covered “Kruidnootjes” Make the “Kruidnootjes” as specified in the recipe. After the “Kruidnootjes” have cooled down, combine sugar and water in a small bowl till it has the right consistency. Cover the “Kruidnootjes” in the icing.

Tell me about candy that’s typical for your country?

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20 responses to “Lola’s Kitchen: “Kruidnootjes” Recipe

    • I visited Scotland once and I love Shortbread! It’s so good! I especially like the ones shaped like sheep. I tried making it myself, but haven’t found a good recipe yet. I wish I could buy shortbread here.

    • I haven’t tried pumpkin bread so far. This time of the year must remind you of your mom then with how she made it for you and your brother every year.

      If you like those spices, you will probably enjoy these! They taste quite different from most other cookies, but really good. We have a few other bakings here that use the same spices.
      Lola recently posted…Lola’s Kitchen: “Kruidnootjes” RecipeMy Profile

  1. I love those Chocolate ones!! I really can’t buy them anymore because when I have them I can’t stop eating until I ate the whole bag. There just so yummy!
    I haven’t made any Kruidnootjes myself, to be honest. But this recipe doesn’t look to difficult.. Thanks for the tip Lola. 😉
    Maureen Hinten recently posted…Review ‘Hard Beat’ by K. BrombergMy Profile

    • The chocolate ones are the best, I also like the truffel kruidnootjes. I still have a bag of those left, yum! I never tried kruidnootjes myself until now either, I always though it was difficult, but it was really easy and they even turned out great the first time I made them. And the good thing about making them from scratch is that you can make them all year round.

  2. Yum! I want to make these, Lola. Thanks for sharing your Sinterklaas treat.

    I’m Italian American so biscotti is definitely part of the family treats as well as a variety of cookies such as Italian wedding cookies, spumoni, waffle cookies, chocolate almond, etc. But we also love to make Gingerbread cookies and use the cookie cutter and decorate them with raisin eyes, mouth, and buttons.
    Sophia Rose recently posted…Unexpected Eden by Rhenna Morgan #ReviewMy Profile

    • I hope you give a try Sophia! They are really good, I made them this evening as it’s Sinterklaas today 🙂

      I didn’t realize you where part italian. I have haven’t eaten most of those cookies you mentioned, but they sound yummy! I have eaten gingerbread cookies a few times but I don’t particulary like those or maybe I haven’t eaten the right ones. It is fun to decorate cookies, although I usually don’t make the time for that.
      Lola recently posted…My To-Be Read List #16: pollMy Profile

  3. Mmm, I’ve never had these before but I love cinnamon and spices so I bet I would love these. I’m always reminded of special family holiday cookies at this time of year. My mom makes a special shortbread cookie in a log shape with a nutmeg frosting on it that I like. I look forward to them every year.
    S. J. Pajonas recently posted…Book Chat #21My Profile

    • I don’t think they sell these anywhere outside of the Netherlands. But luckily you can make them yourself as well :).

      Oh yum that shortbread cookie your mom makes sound delicious. I love shortbread, but never seem to find the recipe to have them taste like the ones I ate in scotland while on vacation there. Nutmeg frosting sounds good too! I can understand why you look forwrad to those cookies every year.
      Lola recently posted…My To-Be Read List #16: pollMy Profile

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