Sinterklaas St Nicholas Cake Recipes

DUTCH SPECULAAS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, molasses and orange zest. Combine the flour, ground almonds, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, ginger and cardamom. Gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until easy to handle. , Preheat oven to 350°. On a parchment-lined surface, roll a small amount of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Use a floured cookie stamp to press design into dough, then cut with floured 3-in. cookie cutters, leaving 1 in. between cookies. Remove excess dough and reroll scraps, if desired., Transfer parchment with dough to cookie sheet. If dough has warmed, place baking sheet in refrigerator until it firms up, about 10-15 minutes. Bake at 350° until edges are lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

SPECULAAS - DUTCH COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine sugar and milk in a bowl.
• Stir until smooth.
• In another bowl, sift the dry ingredients and blend in the butter until the mixture is like cornmeal.
• Add the sugar and milk mixture and the almonds.
• Mix well.
• Wrap in foil, or wax paper and refrigerate overnight.
• Roll out the dough pretty thin.
• Use Christmas cookie cutters (or a windmill or other shaped cookie cutter if it isn't Christmas).
• Dust the cutter well with flour to be sure it doesn't stick.
• Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 10- 12 minutes.
• Remove and cool.

SPECULAAS COOKIES OR SPICY SINTERKLASS CAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve the brown sugar in milk. Combine the flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking powder and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the sugar and milk. Mix in 2 tablespoons of almonds and candied citron. Cut in the butter until it starts to form a dough, then knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Cover dough and chill for about 1 hour for easier handling.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Dust a wooden speculaas mold lightly with cornstarch. Firmly press the dough into the mold. Run a knife around the edges to trim off excess dough. Gently lift dough out of the mold or tap out onto a cookie sheet. Press remaining almond slivers into cookies to match the designs.
• Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, just until the edges begin to darken. If your cookies are more than 1/2 inch thick, bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for up to 30 minutes. Cool cookies on wire racks to crisp. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month. The flavor will get better with age.

SINTERKLAAS (ST. NICHOLAS) CAKE

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar, add soda dissolved in the water.
• Sift all dry ingredients together.
• Then mix with creamy mixture to make a soft dough.
• Place on floured board, knead in almonds and roll out to about 1/4" thick.
• Place into browny pan and bake about 30 minutes or until done.
• Cut into squares before it has completely cooled.

TAAI TAAI SINTERKLAAS BISCUITS

Steps:

• Put honey, water and anise seed into a small saucepan and gently bring to a boil.
• Add golden syrup to honey and stir to combine.
• Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
• Sift flour into a large mixing bowl and add spices, salt and baking powder.
• Add cooled honey mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until almost combined.
• Use hands to bring mixture together, and gently knead to a firm dough.
• Spread onto a greased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 325F for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool and cut into 2 inch square pieces.

SAINT NICHOLAS COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift flour with spices in bowl. Add baking powder and salt; set aside.
• In large bowl of electric mixer, at high speed, beat butter with sugar and egg until mixture is very light and fluffy.
• With wooden spoon, stir in half of flour mixture, then beat in rest of flour mixture and almonds, mixing with hands, if necessary.
• Refrigerate dough, covered, several hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°F Lightly grease several cookie sheets.
• Remove 1/4 of the dough at a time from the refrigerator. With hand, flatten dough or roll out to 1/8-inch thick. Cut with cookie cutter.
• Repeat with rest of dough, 1/4 at a time. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown around edges.
• Remove cookies to wire rack; cool completely.
• Dust lightly with icing sugar. Store cookies in covered container.