My Favorite Dutch Speculaas Food

DUTCH SPECULAAS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, molasses and orange zest. Combine the flour, ground almonds, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, ginger and cardamom. Gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until easy to handle. , Preheat oven to 350°. On a parchment-lined surface, roll a small amount of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Use a floured cookie stamp to press design into dough, then cut with floured 3-in. cookie cutters, leaving 1 in. between cookies. Remove excess dough and reroll scraps, if desired., Transfer parchment with dough to cookie sheet. If dough has warmed, place baking sheet in refrigerator until it firms up, about 10-15 minutes. Bake at 350° until edges are lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

DUTCH SPECULAAS COOKIES (CONTAINS GROUND ALMONDS)

Steps:

• Cream the butter and sugar together, then beat in the salt, almonds, egg and 3 tablespoons of milk.
• Add the flour and spices and enough of the remaining milk to make a stiff dough. Mix well to work in all of the flour throughout the mixture.
• Roll into a ball, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Roll out and use a wooden Speculaas form to make decorative shapes or use cookie cutter forms. Place on a greased baking tray, brush lightly with milk and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

SPECULAAS COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Dust 2 baking sheets with flour.
• Combine brown sugar and butter together in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, cinnamon, baking powder, cloves, and nutmeg. Mix in flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough comes together.
• Shape dough into cookies by hand or using cookie cutters. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until firm but not hard, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

SPECULAAS (DUTCH SPICED BISCUIT)

Steps:

• Combine the cake flour, brown sugar, all spice and salt.
• Cut butter into pieces and mix into the flour in a food processor.
• Add milk and you should now have a firm dough ball.
• Wrap the dough in clingfilm and allow to rest in a cool place for atleast 2 hours, but preferably for a day to draw out the spice flavour.
• Preheat the oven to 175 degrees celcius, roll out the dough into a rectangle about 1cm thick.
• Place this onto a lined baking tray and bake the spiced biscuit in the oven for about 30 minutes until done.
• Cool the biscuit on a wire rack.
• To serve: Break the biscuit into pieces and serve with warm chocolate milk.