Celebrating Sinterklaas is one of my most favorite memories from The Netherlands. The foods, the smells, the season right between fall and winter...and watching all the children (and adults) welcome Sinterklaas to the land mid-November. Between then and the 5th of December, everyone takes care be on good behavior and to remember to put their shoes out in hopes of a small gift. The 5th of December is a cozy family day and evening filled with laughter, gifts, and treats of all kinds.
Between the arrival of Sinterklaas and his departure on December 5, there are lots of opportunities for giving (and getting) surprises in your shoes. You can pretty much do whatever you like but there are some traditional items that you can find here in Seattle if you know where to look.
Chocolate Letters
Nothing's better than a big piece of chocolate shaped like your initial (or a big S for Sint or P for Piet). These are available at a few places in Western Washington and you can also buy them at the Sinterklaas party from the vendors.
A Touch of Dutch in Coupeville, WA (watch for pre-order announcements)
Hillcrest Bakery in Bothell, WA
Big Johns PFI in Seattle
Sinterklaas party organized by Holland America Club volunteers
Chocolate Sinterklaas
Sinterklaas has been spotted at several Cost Plus World Markets in our area this year. I was at the Crossroads Bellevue location this weekend and picked one up and there were maybe 5 left on the shelf. You can tell the difference between the Sinterklaas and the Santa ones by looking for the gold cross on the hat and the golden staff he holds in his hand. A Touch of Dutch also orders in a small shipment so be sure to add a few to your order while you're at it.
Speculaas Cookies
Of course I have to mention one of my favorite cookies which we enjoy anytime of the year really. They are crisp and packed full of holiday spices which are perfect with a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate next to warm fire. I have spent the better part of a year and a half developing my own recipe to get the spices and bake just right on these cookies and I sell these Speculaas Canal House Cookies in gift packaging during the holiday season.
If you're looking for the store bought approach, A Touch of Dutch has cute tins of cookies which are great for teachers gifts. A Touch of Dutch, World Market, Big Lots, Amazon, and Trader Joe's also sell larger packages cookies if you want to serve those with coffee or tea during the chilly winter months. Sometimes you have to look in the German sections to find it.
German spiced cookies from World Market. Big Lots has a similar item as well.
Dutch speculaas cookies found at places like A Touch of Dutch
Dutch windmill cookies from World Market if they can still be found
Trader Joe speculoos cookies found year round in their stores
Big John's PFI sometimes has some tucked among the shelves
Golden Coins and Euro Bank Notes
These were always a special treasure if we got them in our stockings as kids and I'm glad it seems to be something Dutch kids seem to get too. I've seen coins in US currency at party stores like Party City and Party Everything in Redmond as well as the party store next to Fred Meyer in Issaquah. Sometimes the grocery stores will have them around the holidays too. Go to World Market or A Touch of Dutch for Euro versions though, and your kids will really think it came over on Sinterklaas's steam boat.
Stroopwafels
How about some Dutch stroopwafels? They seem to be the 'in' treat of 2017 and you can find them in several places. World Market sells the Daelman's brand in several flavors and packaging options. If you follow them on Facebook you'll see that the Daelman's brand is found in a lot of other places from Bartell's to being served on some airlines as a in-flight snack. Costco had large boxes for awhile and Trader Joe's has always sold mini stroopwafels but just came out with a decorative tin of their own. Starbucks sells Rip van Wafels, which aren't quite as good as some other brands out there but I've never turned one down. Look for some of the new flavors and brands starting to appear at places like REI and Safeway.
2020 Update: Dutch Dames Stroopwafels opened in Seattle and are making fresh stroopwafels right in their own cottage kitchen. I don't think you can get fresher than that unless you're trying to make your own.
Costco stacks of stroopwafels
Trader Joe's tin
Daelman's packages
Caramel Bites at Trader Joe's
Daelman's varieties found at World Market and other stores
Rip van Wafels come in several flavors
Up and coming brands found at Safeway, REI, and Bartell's
Pepernoten!
Nothing says Sinterklaas like pepernoten. Each year I try to bake the perfect batch at home, forget which recipe I used the year before and have to start over with a new one that isn't quite 'the one'. It's a great tradition to start with children and it makes your house smell wonderful.
For those of us who can't pull it off, you can buy them online or from A Touch of Dutch. We lucked out and they were just appearing in the stores in Holland when we were there at the end of August so I filled my carry-on. There are tons of different brands and they started making chocolate covered ones and all sorts of other flavor combinations I have yet to try...yum!
What More Could There Be?
Get creative and think about the person you are giving to. Have they done something recently that was a little silly and you should poke some fun at? I cut my hand the other night in the kitchen (it was quite a mess) and the next morning I found some silly bandages in my shoe. Socks, favorite foods or drinks, books, small lego sets, card games, and hair bands are all things we have done in the past. Think of it as stocking stuffers that have to fit inside one shoe and then spread out over several nights. In case you are planning on cheating:
The bigger the shoe does not mean the bigger the gift
Two shoes does not mean twice the gifts
If you are only supposed to put out your shoe one night per weekend and you put it out again anyway, you won't get an extra gift but probably will get a stern letter from the Sint.
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