Loaf peperkoek

The loaf peperkoek (see the photograph), is also called honingkoek, ontbijtkoek (breakfast cake), kandijkoek (kandij cake), kermiskoek (fair cake), zoetekoek (sweet cake), kruidkoek (spiced cake) or sukkadekoek (citron cake): these are a few common names with some variation in the recipes for Low Country loaf gingerbread.

In Belgium and the Netherlands this is a loaf every household will have in the pantry, because its long shelf life meant you could always benefit from it. As a child I grew up eating it for breakfast (hence the name ontbijtkoek) or as a mid-morning or afternoon snack spread generously with butter (sadly at our house this meant margarine). It is used to thicken and flavour meat sauces and stews and as an ingredient for vlaai and for making new peperkoek.