Fryske dúmkes: aniseed, ginger and hazelnut
Dúmke is Frisian for little thumb, although nobody knows for sure where the name comes from. The dough goes into the fridge as a log and is then cut into slices. In this version, aniseed and ginger provide the aroma and finely chopped hazelnuts the bite.
Editorial team Holland Magazine ·
Fryske dúmkes are a well-known Frisian regional speciality: small, sweet biscuits in which aniseed sets the flavour. There is no fixed recipe. Friesland.nl describes them with hazelnuts, but at a bakery in Witmarsum they are made with almonds and butter instead. This is our own home version, with hazelnut and a little ginger.
Times are guidelines; preheat during preparation where possible. Allow extra time to cool food before storing it.
Equipment
Mixing bowl, knife or mini chopper, pestle and mortar, cling film, two baking sheets, baking paper and wire rack.
Ingredients
- 250 g plain wheat flour
- 125 g cold unsalted butter, diced
- 125 g soft brown sugar
- 75 g shelled hazelnuts
- 5 g aniseed
- 2 g ground ginger
- 1 g salt
- 30 ml whole milk
Method
- Finely chop the hazelnuts into 1–2 mm pieces. Lightly crush the aniseed in the mortar.
- Mix the flour, brown sugar, aniseed, ginger and salt. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture is crumbly. Add the hazelnuts and milk and knead briefly into a cohesive dough.
- Halve the dough and roll each half into a log about 3 cm in diameter. Wrap in cling film and leave to firm up in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 175 °C, conventional (top and bottom heat). Cut the logs into 7–8 mm slices and place them 2 cm apart on the lined baking sheets.
- Bake one sheet at a time on the middle shelf for 16–18 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown, underneath as well. Leave them on the sheet for 5 minutes, then let them cool completely on a wire rack; they become hard and crisp as they cool.
Storage
Leave to cool completely and store dry and airtight. For the best crispness, eat within 2 weeks; this is quality advice, not a shelf-life guarantee.
Allergens
Wheat/gluten, milk and nuts (hazelnut).
Our own adaptation for home cooking, not kitchen-tested. Times are guidelines; check the result described in the method.