Speculaas
Crisp Dutch brown-sugar biscuits packed with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, baked for Sinterklaas and dunked in coffee all winter.
Ingredients
- 125 g unsalted butter, soft
- 150 g dark brown soft sugar
- 2 tbsp Milk
- 225 g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
- 25 g Ground almonds
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- 30 g flaked almonds, to decorate (optional)
Method
- Beat the butter and brown sugar until smooth, then beat in the milk.
- Mix the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, salt and all the spices, then work them into the butter until a firm dough comes together. If it is crumbly, add another teaspoon of milk. Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill for 1 hour.
- Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F) and line two baking trays. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 4 mm thick (or press it into floured speculaas moulds) and cut out shapes. Press a few flaked almonds into each, if you like.
- Bake for 12–15 min until the biscuits are a shade darker and firm at the edges. Cool on the trays for 5 min, then move to a rack; they crisp up as they cool.
Tips
- Contains tree nuts (almonds).
- Make a jar of the spice blend to keep: it is also lovely in apple cake, pancakes or stirred into butter for toast.
Sources
Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:
Open Speculaas in Nouns Cooking