Jan Hagel

Jan Hagel are traditional Dutch cookies that are a part of the Feast of St. Nicholas and the Christmas tradition in the Netherlands. They consist of a flaky, buttery shortbread crust, a variety of crunchy nuts such as almonds or walnuts, and crystallized sugar. Due to the fact that the word janhagel denotes an unruly mob or a swarm, it is believed that the unusual name is quite fitting for these cookies made with a variety of nuts. The inventor of janhagels is still unknown, but apart from the Netherlands, there are many sources linking the cookies to France and Belgium. What is known, though, is that they date back to at least the 17th century.