Dutch Delights: Zwarte Piet Koekjes

What:

Zwarte Piet Koekjes are cookies (koekjes in Dutch) shaped into the form of a Zwarte Piet (see below). The flavour is semi-similar to a gingerbread cookie although not quite the same. The chocolate tastes like…well…chocolate.

Why:

The best way to explain these cookies is to look at the concept of Sinterklaas in the Netherlands. Roughly paraphrased from Wikipedia, “Zwarte Piet (meaning Black Pete) is a companion of Sinterklaas whose yearly feast in the Netherlands is usually celebrated on the evening of the 5th of December (Sinterklaas-avond) when they distribute sweets and presents to all good children.

The characters of Zwarte Pieten appear only in the weeks before Saint Nicholas’s feast, first when the saint is welcomed with a parade as he arrives in the country (generally by boat, having traveled from Madrid, Spain). The tasks of the Zwarte Pieten are mostly to amuse children, and to scatter pepernoten and candies for those who come to meet the saint as he visits stores, schools, and other places.”

Where:

You’ll find these cookies in the supermarket, the bakery, kitchens around the Netherlands and plenty of other places. These specific ones were actually bought at Albert Heijn.

When:

These cookies are linked to the Sinterklaas celebration so you will find them starting in November but they will then be well and truly gone after December 5th.

Varieties:

Since Zwarte Piet Koekjes is really referring to the shape of the cookie, i.e. in the formation of a Zwarte Piet, there are plenty of varieties out there.

How Much [Should I Eat]:

The cookie itself is really nice (or at least this batch/brand was) but it is when you get to the chocolate at the top that it becomes a bit of a taste explosion in your mouth, forcing you to grab “just one more.”

Pas Op! (Watch Out!):

One Zwarte Piet is “Zwarte Piet.” But if you have several of the Sinterklaas helpers together, the multiple form is Zwarte Pieten. Therefore, the cookies can also be called Zwarte Pieten koekjes.