Stroopkoeken have the same gooey caramel-cinnamon filling as their universally adored sibling, the stroopwafel. But instead of the stroopwafels's thin, chewy wafer exterior, which comes courtesy of a piping hot specialist waffle iron, stroopkoeken can be baked in any ordinary oven and have a thicker, crispier bite that is no less satisfying. So if you've always loved stroopwafels but were too daunted to bake them yourself, why not try this easy recipe for stroopkoeken?

Photo © De Kookboekhandel

An American acquaintance once reacted quite shocked when he heard of Groningse mustard soup for the first time: 'Wow, is that similar to stone soup?' he quipped, referring of course to the famous fairytale by the Bros. Grimm. He may have a point... who first thought of making a soup from a condiment anyway? At any rate, this regional speciality from Groningen is surprisingly delicious, and that's what counts. I like to serve it with freshly chopped chives and crispy bacon bits, with a slice of good sourdough on the side.

Photo © Ellen Schelkers

Size-wise, these fluffy pancakes with kruidnoten fall somewhere in-between those typically Dutch plate-sized pancakes and tiny little poffertjes. They're often called drie in de pan , because you can fit three of these beauties in a large frying pan. Of course, traditional drie in de pan are made with raisins or currants, while here spicy Dutch ginger nuts, called kruidnoten, add flavor and interest. Try this terrific kruidnoten pancakes recipe (which can also be made with crumbled speculaas or, in fact, any ginger cookies) and we're sure you'll agree that kruidnoten deserve to be elevated to year-round treat.

Photo © Uitgeverij Loopvis

This traditional Dutch hare stew , featuring spicy Frisian gingerbread, is surprisingly sweet yet has satisfyingly savory depths of flavor that is perfect for rainy winter days.

The recipe uses a typically Dutch ingredient, called Friese kruidkoek (Frisian gingerbread cake), which you can buy online or find in any Dutch supermarket. Of course, you can also use other types of gingerbread cake for this recipe or simply use regular bread and add an extra pinch of allspice to the stew.

Photo © Sven Benjamins for Mo' Media