CELEBRATING SINTERKLAAS Presents, pepernoten, schuimpjes... 'T Heerlijk avondje! WHAT IS SINTERKLAAS?

Sinterklaas, the pakjesavond, is celebrated across the Netherlands on December 5th every year. Sinterklaas or Saint , is the white- bearded man wearing distinctive red clothing and a hat with a cross on it, who arrives in the Netherlands around mid-November.

Celebrating Sinterklaas usually involves getting together with your family for dinner, eating sweets like pepernoten (ginger biscuits), chocolate initials and . A big part of Sinterklaas celebrations are also exchanging gifts (which is why it is also called pakjesavond). The celebration can also include singing songs and playing games. CELEBRATING SINTERKLAAS DURING CORONA This year, due to the coronacrisis, Sinterklaas is a little different. Instead of gathering together with all our loved ones, we must take the pandemic into account and be responsible. The government recommends that you only receive up to 3 people in your home per day and we think this is a good guideline to follow for Sinterklaas celebrations as well. It goes without saying that you shouldn't gather with others at all if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID- 19.

In this leaflet, we have gathered some recipes and Sinterklaas traditions so you can have a cozy Sinterklaasavond. Enjoy! RECIPES FOR SINTERKLAAS - pepernoten (Dutch ) You'll need.. 250 grams of flour 125 grams of brown sugar (basterdsuiker) 4 teaspoons koek en speculaaskruiden (you'll find this in the spice section of jumbo or albert heijn or you can make it according to this recipe if you're not in the NL.) A dash of salt 100 grams of fridge-cold butter 90 ml of milk

How to make it Heat the oven to 170 degrees. Stir the flour, brown sugar, spices and a pinch of salt together in a bowl. Add the cold butter and the milk and knead into a firm ball. Do not knead too long, because the dough should not get too warm. Cover a baking tray with a piece of parchment paper. Turn the dough into balls and place them on the baking tray. You do not have to press them flat because that will automatically go into the oven. Put the gingerbread cookies in the oven for about 25 minutes. When they come out of the oven they will still feel a bit soft, but when they have cooled down they will become crispy.

De allerlekkerste chocolademelk (Chocolate milk) you'll need... 5 dl of milk 75 grams of milk chocolate 2 tablespoons of speculaas pasta (optional) Dash of cinnamon 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder Whipped cream Speculaas spice or crumbs

How to make it Heat the milk in a small pan. Add the chocolate in pieces and let it melt while stirring. Add the cocoa powder, cinnamon and Speculoos paste/Speculaas seasoning and let it absorb into the milk. If necessary, stir well once with a whisk to prevent lumps. Pour the milk into glasses and pipe a dollop of whipped cream on top. Garnish with speculaas spice and a pinch of cinnamon.

Stamppot (for two) You'll Need... 250 grams of rookworst (this is a Dutch smoked sausage: you can also leave it out or replace it with another meat/vegetarian option of choice) 500 grams of potatoes 300 grams of kale 150 ml of milk 50 grams of unsalted butter Mustard to season

How to Make it Heat the smoked sausages according to the instructions on the package. In the meantime, cook the potatoes in a large pan until tender. Cook the kale in another pan until tender. Drain the potatoes and kale and put together in the large pan. Heat the milk with the butter in a saucepan. Pour into the potatoes and kale and mash into a stew. Season with the mustard, salt and pepper. Divide between plates and serve with the smoked sausage.

Sinterklaas Dice Game

Traditionally, on Sinterklaas, people buy presents and play a dice game with them. Here you will find the rules:

For this Sinterklaas dice game you need: 2 to 4 presents per person 1 dice (preferably a big one)

Basic rules: Everybody buys 2 to 4 presents in advance from a pre-determined budget per person. Get together, put all the presents together and start the game. The game consists of two rounds of throwing a dice and following the instructions you are given (see below). You can never lose your last present. If at the end of the second round, following the instruction results in having no presents, throw again. Round 1 instructions Throw the dice in turns, until all of the presents are divided. If you can’t follow the instruction of the dice, throw again. Round 2 Throw the dice in turns, until the round is over. All the presents you have at the end of the round, you get to keep. If someone doesn't have any presents at the end of the round, go again. Have fun!