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I came across ginger nuts or kruidnoten biscuits when reading a fabulous book called ‘On the Bright Side. The New Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen’. And I just couldn’t resist making them! This is perhaps the first time when I became the victim of compulsive baking. Quite a new thing to me but yet, I only turned 30 few months ago so I am sure I will get used to it.
When it comes to the biscuits themselves, they are very festive. Probably a bold move to make them in mid July but the weather in the UK is far from being summery so I feel fully justified. If you are fond of pumpkin spice you will definitely love them. They are a little harder than I expected but they soften nicely if you keep them in a box over the night and become absolutely irresistible then. Make a cup of tea and enjoy dunking your biscuits in it whilst reading a good book. Preferably the one about Henrik Groen and his pack from ‘Old-But-Not-Dead’ club.
This is part two of a story about Henrik- the self-proclaimed ‘inmate’ of care home in the Netherlands. He decided to keep a diary and gives us a glimpse into his daily life. And what a life that is! At the prime age of 85 him and his friends (including my favourite one-legged Evert and his dog Mohammed) have no intention to slow down. Every few weeks they venture to do something they haven’t tried before. And yes, even if that means falling off the mobility scooter on the way or perhaps one leaked adult nappy that will not sour anyone’s mood. You can rely on his relentless humour all the way through the book but he will also sneak in few remarks about much deeper topics that will touch your soul in ways you haven’t expected from this light read.
Just to give you a little taster, part one starts with the following words:
Another year, and I still don’t like old people. Their walker shuffle, their unreasonable impatience, their endless complaints, their tea and cookies, their bellyaching. Me? I am eighty-three years old.
The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ Years Old- Henrik Groen
Do you still need to be convinced? Go make the biscuits and enjoy them with that book.
Although I would start with ‘The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ Years Old’.
Ginger Nuts biscuits
Equipment
- 1 baking tray
- baking parchment
- 1 bowl
Ingredients
- 200 g self raising flour
- 100 g demerara sugar
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons milk I used oatmilk
- 4 tsp pumpkin spice use speculaaskruiden blend to be more authentic
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 orange zested
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients and knead well until combined. Put a large plate over your bowl to block the air and let it to rest for an hour on the counter (this way spices have a chance of really infusing the dough).
- Heat the oven to 175 C. Put a baking parchment on your tray and start rolling little balls from the dough. You should have 24 biscuits when you finish. Line them in rows 4×8 on the baking tray and flatten slightly with your thumb.
- Bake them for 20 minutes until lightly browned. They will be slightly bigger than when you first put them in the oven. Allow to cool before eating.
- Store in air tight container so they have a chance to soften a little. Or dunk them in tea to enjoy them straight away. Traditionally they are expected to be a little on the harder side but you have them as you want to and don't let anyone judge you.
Pumpkin spice blend
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper
Speculaaskruiden spice blend
Ingredients
- 4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground mace
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1/3 tsp ground ginger
- 1/5 tsp ground coriander seeds
- 1/5 tsp ground anise seeds
- 1/5 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/5 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/5 tsp ground white pepper
