Pepernoten: Tiny Spicy Cookies from The Netherlands

Firstly, a word about the spices: in The Netherlands, most supermarkets sell a specific spice mix, ‘Speculaas spices,’ to make these biscuits as well as certain other things. You likely won’t find the specific mix outside of the country, but mixed spice is a perfectly fine substitute, and in a pinch even just ground cinnamon still works, although it won’t quite be the same.

Secondly, servings: this makes about two to three baking sheets full, depending on the size of the sheet. I had to bake them in three batches.

Sieve the flour. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix them. Add the butter and knead it through thoroughly, then add the milk. Knead until you have a smooth dough that will form into a ball without falling apart. If the dough is too crumbly and keeps falling apart, add a little more milk.

Cover the bowl with cling film and place it in the fridge for at least half an hour. You can also prepare the dough in advance and leave it to chill overnight.

Once the dough is chilled, roll small balls of it (about the size of a small marble) and place them on a lightly greased baking sheet or a baking sheet covered with baking parchment. Flatten each one slightly so it’s not quite a ball any more. Don’t crowd them in, they’ll rise while in the oven.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 320 F/160C, until golden brown on top and slightly springy-feeling. Remove them from the sheet and leave them to cool down and harden, upside down, on a plate. Eat when cool.

The pepernoten will keep for a few days in an airtight container, but in my house they don’t generally get the chance to go stale.