Speculaas (Speculoos) Cookies

Apparently, while I’ve been quietly living in Poland, Americans have been going nuts for speculoos! It’s the new Nutella! There’s a national shortage, headlines read, “speculoos spread is crack in a jar” I’m lucky to have friends and family that give me an education in food. I hope you have those people around you too. I first learned about speculoos when we visited Belgium over the summer. My brother directed us to a bakery famous for their speculoos; he’s helping me make up for my lack of pop culture exposure back home with a trip to the source.

A recent coffee morning with my friend from the Netherlands, Debbie,  led to a discussion about the Dutch version of this spice combination, speculaas. It’s used to make butter cookies that are similar to gingerbread. Debbie was kind enough to include a jar of speculaas in the Dutch goodies she brought me after her holiday at home. I can relate to the crack in a jar comment. The container sat on our counter for a few days before I got around to baking with it, and multiple times a days, I would walk by and take a whiff. The aroma is heavenly. If someone hasn’t turned this into a potpourri scent, they should.

Traditionally speculoos cookies are molded into intricate shapes. I plan to be doing some of these in the future. I’ve picked up some Polish piernik molds and bought a large speculaas mold while shopping in the arts and antique district in Amsterdam last week.

For now, I made some simple speculaas cookies, just rounds pressed with a water glass dipped in sugar and decorated with a few almond slices. The fragrant cookies were delicious and a little softer and chewier than the crisp verison of speculaas. This recipe comes from Joy of Baking and would make a great addition to your holiday cookie tray!

Speculaas (Speculoos) Cookies

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• Prep Time: 80 mins
• Cook Time: 12 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 32 mins
• Yield: 40 cookies
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: Dutch

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Description

A fragrant spicy cookie, crisp with a chewy center.

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour (195 g)
• 1/2 cup almond flour or meal (45 g)
• 1 1/3 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• (or substitute 1 3/4 teaspoons speculaas if you have it for all the spices)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter (113 g)
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar (160 g)
• 1 large egg
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup sliced almonds, (80 g)

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Instructions

1. Combine the flours, baking powder, spices and salt and set aside
2. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes
3. Add the egg and lemon zest
4. Add the flour mixture mixing until combined
5. Flatten the dough and wrap tightly in plastic wrap
6. Chill for at least one hour
7. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C)
8. Line baking sheets with parchment paper
9. Roll the dough into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls and place on lined baking sheets
10. Press each ball with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar, until 1/4 inch thick (just over 1/2 cm) and sprinkle with sliced almonds
11. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes

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Lois Britton

An accountant by trade and a food blogger since 2009, Lois Britton fell in love with Polish cuisine during the years she lived in Poznań, Poland. As the creator of PolishHousewife.com,  she loves connecting readers with traditional Polish recipes. Lois has a graduate certificate in Food Writing and Photography from the University of South Florida. She is the author of The Polish Housewife Cookbook, available on Amazon and on her website.