Baking Dutch Letters

Those without connection to the Dutch or to Iowa may not know about Dutch Letters. They are a cookie, baked in the shape of a letter. But they are more than that; they are flaky, buttery and filled with an almond paste and shaped into a letter. They are a cross between a pastry and a cookie and were made only around Christmas time. They can be ordered online from a Dutch bakery in Iowa at http://www.jaarsmabakery.com/ourpastries.asp.

Dutch Letters were originally made in this country as a special treat for Sinterklaas Day, December 6 of each year, but are now available year round. Sinterklaas is the Dutch version of Santa Claus. The letters are traditionally shaped into the letter S for Sinterklaas. These cookies are easy to make but time consuming. Both the dough and the paste have to set overnight, and after shaped into the letter, have to sit for one half hour. The letters are first made into a tube with the almond paste sealed inside and then shaped into the letter. In recent times, the home baker shapes them in letters of their children's initials.

Traditionally, Dutch Letters date back to the Middle Ages when newborn babies were given a letter made from bread for good luck. The Dutch letters associated with Sinterklaas were brought to this country by immigrants who settled in Iowa. They have maintained their Dutch bakery for four generations. Even though the bakery now has a machine to make the tubes, the letters are still formed by hand. Even though many people in the town of Pella, Iowa have a recipe for the cookies, the original recipe from Holland is never divulged by the bakeries.