Christmas comes early in the Netherlands every year, which allows more time for good food and holiday celebrations. However, while Christmas, as a religious Christian holiday, is celebrated on December 25 and 26 and called the (First Christmas Day) and Tweede Kerstdag (Second Christmas Day) Santa Claus and his reindeers make their debut a bit earlier on Sinterklaas or St. Nicholas Day.
St. Nicholas Day is celebrated every year in the Netherlands on December 5th and 6th, which is also the Saints Feast Day as well. The morning of the 6th is when children wake up to the toys that Santa Claus brings as well as other holiday gifts.
On both holidays, eating is also of the utmost importance in Holland. There are many types of foods served at both of the holidays including a variety of meats, a selection of cookies, and deserts. One of the most popular desserts in the Netherlands is called Jan Hagel cookies, served alongside the kerststol or fruited Christmas loaf, spiced cookies, and even mulled wine.
Jan Hagel cookies can be shaped as squares, rectangles, or diamond and served with ice cream, mousse, or sabayon.
Jan Hagel Cookies:
Ingredients:
1 cup of butter at room temperature
1 cup of white sugar
1 egg yolk
1 egg white
1 pinch salt
2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of cinnamon
½ cup of vanilla extract
½ cup of sliced almonds
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Cream the shortening and add sugar and egg yolk (save the egg whites in separate bowl,) cream well, add vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and flour gradually. Knead the dough, divide into two equal portions, lightly grease two cookie sheets. Spread the dough into an even layer on the sheets, brush it with the egg white mixed with water and then sprinkle with almonds. Bake for 20 minutes or 30 minutes for thicker cookies, cut to shape after removing from the oven.
Sources:
Rita Cook’s travels to the Netherlands