And one more cookie for the New Year:
~ Speculoos: Spiced Holiday Cookies ~
Speculoos (or Speculaas) cookies are a Belgian and Dutch cookie. They are very spiced, but more fragrant than a gingersnap. What distinguishes a speculoos cookie is 2 things. The first is that they require a spice blend that reads like a laundry list of Asian and East Indian spices. The second is that Speculoos are traditionally prepared in a springerle mold, which produces picture-perfect cookies stamped with quaint images such as windmills, St. Nicholas, angels and cottages. The spice blend is easily prepared with commonly used spices, and you can make a large batch to keep on hand for extra cookies or seasoning breads and cakes. If you don’t have a springerle mold, no worries. The dough may be rolled and shaped with cookie cutters, or simple flattened into disks, as I have done in this recipe. While rolling and flattening may appear a tad less decorative and more homemade, once you take a bite of these spiced cookies you won’t mind one bit – happy new year!
Speculoos Cookies
Makes 3 dozen cookies
Spice blend:
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
Cookies:
1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons speculoos spice blend
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sliced almonds as garnish, optional
Turbinado sugar for sprinkling
1. Heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Mix all of the spice blend ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Prepare the cookies: Cream the brown sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Whisk the flour, the spice blend, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Add to the sugar and mix until combined without over-mixing.
4. Roll the dough into one-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball with the bottom of a water glass to a 1 1/2-inch disk, approximately 1/8-inch thick. Press a few almonds into the top of each cookie and sprinkle with a pinch of Turbinado sugar. Bake until light golden and firm, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Those are wonderful cookies! Once I start eating Speculoos and can’t stop…
Cheers,
Rosa
These look wonderful – I love a spicy gingersnap, so these must be even better. Happy Holidays!
My mother loved to make European style cookies during the holiday season. She especially adored the heady dose of spices that were usually included in the recipe. The Speculoos Cookies remind me of making cookies with her every holiday season, a most tasty memory!
Here in NYC we have a food truck called Waffles & Dinges and they serve waffles with this awesome speculoos spread. The waffle absorbs the spread and the spread gets stuck to the roof of your mouth as you eat, and it is an absolutely glorious experience.
Yet one more reason why I love New York!
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how many eggs? please 🙂
1 egg! Thank you for catching that -
Lynda
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Brings me a little closer to my tasty home 🙂
Thanks Lynda x
These look really good! The spice blend could be good in a lot of things too. 🙂
Kenley
Too funny, just made these from the Bouchon Bakery cookbook yesterday. They were so tasty though finished with powdered sugar.
Love this! I have a springerle mold, but like these with their almonds just as well I think! But I may have to try them both ways, just to be sure of course. 🙂
I love this one. Spiced cookies are just so warming.
These sound fabulous, and the addition of white pepper and cardamom is genius. may have to make these for our sibling cookie swap next year. Happy Holidays to you and your family, Lynda!