Épice

Kruidnoten

Our version of Dutch kruidnoten: a small, crunchy biscuit with Madagascar cinnamon, ginger and cloves.

  • Prep 20 min
  • Cooking 15 min
  • Total 35 min
  • Difficulty Easy

Kruidnoten are small, round, crunchy biscuits found in the Netherlands and Belgium around Saint Nicholas's Day, in early December. Our version takes up the spice blend typical of these biscuits, built around Madagascar cinnamon, ginger, clove and white pepper.

Our family grows and prepares the cinnamon, ginger, clove and white pepper in Vangaindrano, in south-eastern Madagascar. The cracked texture of these little biscuits comes from a dough shaped without being smoothed.

Method

Preparation

  1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt with all the spices: cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves, ground white pepper, nutmeg, cardamom and green anise.
  2. Add the soft butter in small pieces and work it in with your fingertips until you get a coarse, sandy texture.
  3. Add the brown sugar then the milk, and knead quickly to form a smooth dough that holds together. Shape into a ball, wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Take pieces of dough weighing about 8 g and roll them between your palms into small, irregular balls, without smoothing them perfectly: kruidnoten keep a cracked surface.
  5. Place the balls on a baking tray lined with baking paper, spacing them slightly apart: they spread very little during baking.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch. Leave to cool completely on the tray: they harden as they cool and become crunchy.
  7. Store in an airtight tin.
Chef's tip

The little extra that changes everything

Do not smooth the small balls of dough too much: their irregular surface is what gives kruidnoten their cracked look after baking. Our homemade speculoos relies on a similar mix of spices, but is shaped into a flat biscuit cut out with a cutter rather than a small ball. Our products for this recipe: Madagascar cinnamon, Madagascar ground ginger, Madagascar cloves, Madagascar white pepper

Frequently asked questions

About this recipe

Can white pepper be replaced with black pepper?
Yes, ground Madagascar black pepper also works, with a slightly stronger flavour.
Can the dough be made ahead?
Yes, the dough can be made the day before and kept wrapped in the fridge; it is then shaped straight away, without waiting.
Can the quantities be doubled?
Yes, all the quantities scale up equally; allow for several trays, as these little biscuits are usually made in large batches.
In the kitchen

Four moves with one bean

What to do with a whole bean, from the first cut to the sugar jar.

01 Split 30 s

Knife tip halfway through, one single pass along the whole length.

02 Scrape 1 min

Scrape both halves with a spoon. That black is the flavour.

03 Infuse 20 min

Seeds and bean into the hot milk, off the heat, covered.

Vanilla beans laid on a white plate
04 Reuse 1 week

Rinse the emptied bean, let it dry, then slip it into the sugar.

One bean serves twice
Exceptional ingredients

Our products for this recipe

Ground Ginger, Glass Jar (40g)
Ground Ginger, Glass Jar (40g)7,50 € 4,90 €
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