Pepernoten – Dutch spice biscuits

These bickies were very popular at our recent Open day. Thanks to Michiel and Suuz for the recipe!

Ingredients

250g self-raising flour

150g butter, cubed (unsalted)

125g brown sugar

15g spice mix (see below)

2-3 tablespoons of milk

Pinch of salt

Spice mix secret recipe

8 teaspoons/parts of cinnamon

2 teaspoons/parts of nutmeg

2 teaspoons/parts of cloves

1 teaspoon/part of ginger powder

1 teaspoon/part of aniseed

½ teaspoon/part of white pepper

½ teaspoon/part of coriander (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 175C.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, butter (a little soft makes it easier to mix), spice mix and pinch of salt.
  3. Mix / knead the mixture with your hands while adding a spoon of milk (2-3 should be enough) until you get a nice and firm dough ball.
  4. Roll little dough balls (5g each), lay them on a tray lined with baking paper and gently press them.
  5. Bake for 25-35 minutes and then let them cool off. It smells lovely when they come out of the oven 😊.
  6. The cookies should be crunchy and with a nice sweet and spicy flavour. Great to enjoy with a cup of tea!
  7. You can store the pepernoten in a closed container to keep them fresh and crunchy for longer (1-2 weeks).