Dutch Pepernoten

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. water
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons of speculaaskruiden*
a pinch of salt

Knead all ingredients into a soft ball. Butter two baking sheets. Form about ninety marble-sized balls and place them on the sheets. Flatten each ball slightly. Bake about 20 minutes in a moderate oven (350° F / 180° C), they will be dark brown, very hard and crunchy when cooled.

* Speculaaskruiden:
You can buy them ready-mixed in the Netherlands or you can try making your own. They consist of:
cinnamon
powdered cloves
nutmeg
powdered coriander
allspice
aniseed
powdered ginger
powdered cardamon
mace
The proportions are a matter of taste, as are the spices you use, and each baker has his own "secret" blend. The trick is to be careful with the very strong spices, and leave out the ones you don't like!