Speculoos

Many of you may know I have a cottage in Bothwell, Tasmania The Butcher’s House. Well I have a lovely Dutch neighbour, Yoka, last night I asked her if she had ever cooked speculoos, I wanted an authentic recipe to share with you, her response was “Mr Google has recipes that look good”! Haha that didn’t go to plan. However here is the most traditional version I could find care of: https://www.daringgourmet.com/speculoos-cookies/

Ingredients

• 495 g firmly packed dark brown sugarSpeculoos mold

• 230 g unsalted butter , softened at room temperature

• 2 large egg yolks (if the dough is too dry add some extra egg yolk)

• 3 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

• 1 teaspoon quality pure vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

• 112 g almond or hazelnut flour

• 410 g all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baker's ammonia (see blog post for explanation)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon ground anise seed

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

  INSTRUCTIONS 

  Beat the brown sugar, butter, egg yolks, cream, vanilla and lemon zest in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or use an electric mixer) until it's pale and fluffy, 5-6 minutes. Add the almond/hazelnut flour and mix until combined. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baker's ammonia, salt and spices. While beating, gradually add this flour mixture to the wet mixture. (If not using a stand mixer use a wooden spoon while you can and then knead with your hands.) If the dough is too dry/crumbly add a little extra egg yolk as needed.Form the dough into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest in a cool place (NOT the fridge or it will become brittle) for at least 5 hours or overnight.

  Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of about 4mm or just under 1/4 inch. You can simply cut them into small rectangles (like Biscoff cookies) or you can use molds, cookie stamps, a molded rolling pin or any cookie cutters of your choice to shape the speculoos (see blog post pictures for instructions on how to use molds and molded rolling pins). If using molds be sure to lightly flour them first to prevent sticking. Cut out the cookies and place them on a non-stick baking sheet. Chill the cookies for at least one hour before baking.

  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the speculoos on the middle rack for 10-12 minutes or until nicely browned and caramelized. Let the speculoos cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.Store them in an airtight container. It is best to wait at least a week before eaten them to allow the flavors to develop. Will keep in an airtight container in a cool place for several weeks. Enjoy by the speculoos by themselves or dipped in your favorite hot beverage.