We can thank the Dutch for two of America's favorite Christmas traditions: Santa Claus and cookies. Santa Claus was originally St. Nicholas, a Catholic bishop who was introduced to this country by Dutch immigrants and was transformed--"rounded out" was the term used by Peter Rose, author of THE SENSIBLE COOK: DUTCH FOODWAYS IN THE OLD AND THE NEW WORLD (Syracuse University Press, 1989)--into Santa Claus by Washington Irving and Clement Moore. And cookies were koekje, the baked sweets that children loved all year round. On St. Nicholas Day, December 6, Dutch children used to leave their wooden shoes by the fireplace to be filled with cookies and sweets by St. Nicholas. "Even today, in the Netherlands, people rush through dinner and then come together to celebrate with hot chocolate and cookies and candies," says Rose. "There's a sweet white bread called duivekater, honey cake, candies, almonds and oranges. And of course speculaas, spice cookies cut into the shape of windmills, animals or even St. Nicholas with his staff."
 
 

SPECULAAS
1/2 lb. butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
Grated rind of 1 lemon
2 eggs
4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds
2 to 4 tbsp. milk

Cream the butter and sugar until they are fluffy. Add the lemon zest and eggs. Mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom, and stir into the butter mixture with the almonds. Add enough milk to make the dough malleable; turn out onto a counter and knead until smooth. Chill well. Roll out on a floured countertop. Cut into bars with a knife, a cookie cutter or a speculaas mold. Place on greased baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, until golden brown. Makes 40 cookies.
 
 

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