Beverwyks

Beverwyks are a classic Dutch-American cookie named after the original Dutch settlement that became Albany, New York. They’re a warmly spiced, rolled cookie loaded with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and chopped raisins, cut into shapes and baked until light golden.

The dough starts by creaming butter, sugar, and eggs together until smooth, then the spiced flour and raisins fold in. It’s a sturdy, rollable dough, not a drop cookie. Rolling to ¼ inch thick gives you a cookie that’s crisp at the edges and slightly chewy in the center, with raisin bits scattered throughout.

The triple-spice combination is what makes these distinctive. Cloves, allspice, and cinnamon together create a deep, warming flavor that tastes like the holidays. The spices are generous here, not just a background note. Each bite has real heat from the cloves and warmth from the cinnamon.

Chopping the raisins before mixing them in is important. Whole raisins can poke through the rolled dough and make the cookies hard to cut into clean shapes.

Kitchen Tips

• If the dough feels too sticky to roll, add flour a tablespoon at a time until it handles cleanly. The recipe accounts for this.
• Chill the dough for 30 minutes if it’s too soft to roll. Cold dough holds its cut shapes better.
• Bake on the shorter end (8 minutes) for softer cookies, closer to 12 for a crisper, snappier texture.
• These keep well in an airtight tin for weeks, making them a good choice for holiday cookie boxes.

Variations

• Currant swap: Replace raisins with dried currants for a more traditional Dutch flavor and smaller, more evenly distributed fruit.
• Iced Beverwyks: Drizzle with a thin powdered sugar glaze after cooling for a festive finish.