Speculoos
Ingredients
- 250 g flour
- 200 g dark brown (cassonade) sugar
- 200 g butter, softened
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp each cloves, nutmeg, ginger, pinch of white pepper
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- zest of 1 lemon, optional
Traditionally baked for St. Nicholas Day and throughout the Christmas season, speculoos are thin, crisp shortbread cookies loaded with warm spices — cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger and a hint of pepper — and sweetened with dark cassonade sugar for a deep, almost caramel flavor. They're traditionally pressed into carved wooden molds before baking, giving them their decorative embossed patterns.
Method
Cream the butter and brown sugar together until light.
Beat in the egg yolk.
Combine the flour, spices, baking powder and salt, then mix into the butter mixture until a smooth dough forms.
Wrap and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight for the best flavor.
Roll the dough thin and press into speculoos molds, or cut into shapes with cutters and mark patterns by hand.
Bake at around 180°C (350°F) for 12-15 minutes, until firm and lightly darkened at the edges.
Cool completely on the tray — they crisp up further as they cool.
