Kruidnoten Recipe – The Dutch Christmas Cookie Kruidnoten, and its evil twin Pepernoten, is symbol of Christmas time in the Netherlands. These little Dutch spice cookies start appearing in stores in late October and are a sign that Sinterklaas is coming. Sinterklaas is St Nicholas, and his band of merry and mischievous helpers are called Zwarte Piets. It is the Zwarte Piets that hands out Kruidnoten to the little children who cups their hands and receive the baked gifts with glee. Dutch children leave their shoes near the fireplace or radiator on Dec 5th in hopes that Sinterklaas and Zwarte
The Jodenkoeken most people are aware of come in a large yellow can made by Davelaar. Joden is the Dutch word for Jews (plural as if in a group; a single Jewish person would be a Jood, and to be Jewish is to be Joodse), and Koek is the word for biscuit/cookie (koeken is cookies). The picture on the front has two men carrying the cookies on what appears to be a stretcher in front of some ornate building and says Sinds 1883 (since 1883). Inside you will find 20 Jodenkoeken; large, thin shortbread cookies. These cookies come from an