Belgian Christmas Traditions & Recipes

In Belgium, the children that speak Waloon are visited by St. Nicholas, the Flemish children are visited by Sint Niklaas and the children that speak French are visited by Pere Noel along with his friend, Pere Fouettard.

On December 4, St Nicholas and Sint Niklaas secretly visit the Waloon and Flemish children's homes, schools, churches and clubs to figure out who has been naughty or nice. They keep records in their books and then return on December 6, the birthday of St. Nicholas, marked as the Feast of St Nicholas, to give the good little boys and girls candies and toys and leave sticks and twigs for the naughty. These are left in either shoes or baskets that are left inside the doorway.

Pere Noel and Pere Fouettard also visit on December 6 to celebrate the feast of St Nicholas. The French children who are good receive chocolates and candy while the naughty children receive a handful of sticks.


Like American Children who leave cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for his reindeer, the Belgian children leave hay for the Saints' horses and donkeys and wine for the Saints. 

Families gather at church to celebrate this religious holiday and later, together for special holiday foods that include Beligian cookies called Speculoos. Usually there made with a wooden mold and resemble animal cookies, but they can be made using cookie cutters as well and taste like a gingerbread or spice cookie.

Speculoos Recipe

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/3 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/3 teaspoon table salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/3 cup white sugar

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2/3 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Sift together flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3. In the work bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter, white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla
4. Add dry ingredients to mixer, a few spoonfuls at a time, mixing on low speed until combined
5. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 60 minutes.
6. Place dough on Silpat or parchment. Roll dough out to about 1/4" thickness .Use bench flour as necessary to prevent sticking.
2 Great tips- 1)Place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll so that the      
                     dough does not stick to your rolling pin.
                     2) After rolled to preferable thickness, take top parchment off, pick up the dough
                     with bottom parchment and lay it dough side down on cookie sheet, peel off the
                      parchment and Cut out the shapes and remove the excess from the pan.7

     7. Cut the dough into shapes.

     8. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.

 

After they are cooled, you can brush each cookie with melted white or dark chocolate and sprinkle with colored sugar.

 

 

On December 24 & 25, they celebrate the birth of Jesus while attending midnight mass, gathering around the Christmas tree where family and friends will give each other gifts in honor of Christmas.  Their holiday meal is served buffet style which includes apertif(drinks) and snacks and then followed by seafood and later a stuffed turkey, cakes and Cougnou, a sweet bread representing Jesus.

 

Belgian Brownie Cocktail Recipe (Apertif)
Ingredients(Serves 6)
 

6 ounces gin

3 ounces cognac or 3 ounces brandy

6 ounces chocolate liqueur

6 to taste fill with heavy cream

                                                                6 to taste ice cube

            Directions

1. Pour the gin, cognac and chocolate liqueur over the ice cubes.
2. Fill with heavy cream.
3. Stir gently.

 
 


Cougnou(Bread of Jesus) Recipe
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2009/09/cougnou-bread-of-jesus-brussels-belgium.html
Ingredients:
8 cups all-purpose flour + flour for kneading
5 teaspoons active dry yeast
8 ounces (2 sticks) softened butter
1-1/4 cups warm milk
2 teaspoons salt
6 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins
1 cup + 2 tablespoons coarse sugar crystals (the original recipe called for 2 cups)
Glaze:
3 egg yolks
3 teaspoons milk
Directions:
1) Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in flour. Pour warm milk into well. Add yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes. Mix. Add eggs, granulated sugar and cinnamon. Beat the mixture with a spoon (you can use your electric mixer if you wish). Gradually add butter. Turn dough onto a floured board and knead until dough no longer sticks to work surface. Place in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Allow to rise 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Turn onto work surface. Knead in raisins and 1 cup coarse sugar crystals. Divide dough into six balls. Lightly grease or spray 2 cookie sheets. Connect three balls, representing head, body and legs, on each sheet. Allow to rise until doubled in size.
2) Preheat oven to 430 degrees F. Combine egg yolks with 3 teaspoons milk. Brush loaves with mixture. Sprinkle with reserved 2 tablespoons sugar crystals. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a deep golden brown. Yield: 2 loaves.

Cook's Note: If you are unable to find sugar crystals, coarsely chop sugar cubes to desired size