Pepernoot

Pepernoten (not to be confused with Pfeffernüsse, which has the same literal translation of 'pepper nuts') are a cookie-like kind of candy, traditionally associated with the Sinterklaas holiday in the Netherlands and Belgium.You will see the pepernoot in two varieties, one light brown, randomly shaped and made from the same ingredients as taai-taai (flour, sugar, anise, cinnamon and clove), but is very hard like a nutshell, where the name originated from (nut = noot). The other variety is nowadays more common and uses the ingredients that are used for speculaas. That one is not as hard as the first one. Peper, means spiced in this case.