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Pepernoten
Anise and honey spice drops
Pepernoten: chewy Dutch anise and honey drops scattered by Sinterklaas
When Sinterklaas arrives in the Netherlands in mid-November, his helpers throw handfuls of pepernoten into the crowd and children find them in their shoes in the morning, until the big present evening of 5 December. Real pepernoten are the old-fashioned kind: soft, chewy, slightly irregular drops of rye flour, honey, anise and spice, paler and chewier than the crunchy kruidnoten sold today. This egg-free dough comes together in minutes. Chef's tip: let the dough rest for an hour so the honey softens the rye and the drops come out chewy, not cakey.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz rye flour
- 3 ½ oz plain flour
- 2 ⅛ oz dark brown soft sugar
- 4 oz runny honey
- 3 tbsp whole milk
- 1 ½ tsp ground aniseed
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Warm the 4 oz runny honey, 2 ⅛ oz dark brown soft sugar and 3 tbsp whole milk gently until the sugar dissolves, then cool for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 2: Mix the 5 ½ oz rye flour, 3 ½ oz plain flour, 1 ½ tsp ground aniseed, 1 tsp Dutch speculaas or mixed spice, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt, pour in the honey mixture and stir to a stiff, sticky dough. Cover and rest for 1 hour.
5 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 350°F. With damp hands roll the dough into marble-sized balls, about 1.5 cm, and set them on lined trays, slightly apart.
5 minStep 4: Bake for 12–15 minutes until lightly browned underneath but still soft when pressed. A common mistake is baking until hard, which turns them into kruidnoten; they firm up as they cool. Keep in a tin for 2 weeks.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pepernoten take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 75 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of dark brown soft sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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