Speculaas Tart With Almond Filling Food

SPECULAAS

Steps:

• In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour with spices, baking powder and salt.
• In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and mix well.
• Stir in by hand half the flour mixture, then add the remaining flour and almonds. Mix with a wooden spoon or knead with hands.
• Divide dough into four parts, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for several hours. (If you are using a mold, chill it as well.)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and grease two cookie sheets.
• Remove one quarter of the dough from the refrigerator and flatten it with your hands. Oil your mold and lightly flour it. Using your fingers, press dough firmly into the mold. Trim any excess dough from the mold with a knife.
• Transfer the cookies onto greased cookie sheets with a spatula, spacing about one inch apart.
• Refrigerate dough trimming to be rerolled later. Lightly flour but do not re-oil cookie mold.
• Repeat process with remaining dough. When cookie sheets are full, bake cookies for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Store in a covered tin.

SPECULAAS TART WITH ALMOND FILLING

Steps:

• For filling:.
• Blend first 8 ingredients in processor until nuts are finely chopped.
• Transfer to small bowl.
• Cover; chill at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
• For dough:.
• Sift first 6 ingredients into medium bowl.
• Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until blended; beat in egg.
• Add flour mixture and beat until moist clumps form.
• Gather dough into ball; divide into 2 pieces, 1 slightly larger than the other. Flatten dough into disks; wrap and chill at least 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead; keep chilled. Soften slightly before rolling.).
• Preheat oven to 325°F
• Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan.
• Roll out larger dough piece on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to pan and press gently over bottom and up sides, pressing any tears together.
• Spread filling in dough.
• Trim dough on sides to 1/2 inch above level of filling.
• Fold dough in over filling.
• Roll out second dough disk on lightly floured surface to 12- to 13-inch round.
• Using bottom of cake pan as aid, cut out 9-inch-diameter round of dough. Slide dough round onto plate and freeze 5 minutes to firm. (Reserve dough scraps for cookies.)
• Place chilled dough round on tart; press to adhere and seal edges.
• Bake tart until crust is brown, about 50 minutes.
• Remove sides of springform pan; cool tart completely on pan bottom. Maintain oven temperature.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Roll out dough scraps on lightly floured surface to scant 1/4-inch thickness.
• Using 2-inch gingerbread-man cutter, cut out cookies.
• Transfer cutouts to prepared sheets. Repeat, using all of dough.
• Bake cookies until golden, about 8 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets. (Tart and cookies can be made ahead; cover and store at room temperature 1 day or refrigerate up to 3 days.).
• Sift powdered sugar over top of tart.
• Place small dab of preserves on back of 1 cookie; place at top edge of tart; repeat with more cookies, forming border around tart.
• Transfer tart to platter.
• Let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour.

SPECULAAS TART WITH ALMOND FILLING

Steps:

• For dough:
• Sift first 6 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until blended. Beat in egg. Add flour mixture and beat until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; divide into 2 pieces, 1 slightly larger than the other. Flatten dough into disks; wrap and chill at least 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead; keep chilled. Soften slightly before rolling.)
• For filling:
• Blend first 8 ingredients in processor until nuts are finely chopped. Transfer to small bowl. Cover; chill at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Roll out larger dough piece on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to pan and press gently over bottom and up sides, pressing any tears together. Spread filling in dough. Trim dough on sides to 1/2 inch above level of filling. Fold dough in over filling.
• Roll out second dough disk on lightly floured surface to 12- to 13-inch round. Using bottom of cake pan as aid, cut out 9-inch-diameter round of dough. Slide dough round onto plate and freeze 5 minutes to firm. Reserve dough scraps for cookies. Place chilled dough round on tart; press to adhere and seal edges.
• Bake tart until crust is brown, about 50 minutes. Remove sides of springform pan; cool tart completely on pan bottom. Maintain oven temperature.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out dough scraps on lightly floured surface to scant 1/4-inch thickness. Using 2-inch gingerbread-man cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer cutouts to prepared sheets. Repeat, using all of dough.
• Bake cookies until golden, about 8 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets. (Tart and cookies can be made ahead; cover and store at room temperature 1 day or refrigerate up to 3 days.)
• Sift powdered sugar over top of tart. Place small dab of preserves on back of 1 cookie; place at top edge of tart. Repeat with more cookies, forming border around tart. Transfer tart to platter. Let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour.

SWEDISH TOSCAS (SWEDISH ALMOND TARTS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cream the butter with the white sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix in 1 cup flour and stir to make a smooth dough. Divide the mixture by placing even amounts into the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of each cup.
• To make the filling, mix the slivered almonds, brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons butter in a small pan. Stir in the cream, and 2 teaspoons flour. Cook and stir the mixture constantly over medium heat until it boils, about 10 minutes. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared tart shells.
• Bake in preheated oven until tops and crust edges are light brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool 10 to 15 minutes before removing the tarts from the muffin pan. Cool completely on a rack.

DUTCH SPECULAAS COOKIES (WITH SLIVERED ALMONDS ON TOP)

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar together.
• Gradually add sifted dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, mixing well, until the dough forms a ball.
• Place on a floured surface and roll out very thinly until it's about 3 mm (1/8th inch) thick.
• Use cookie cutters to shape into desired forms
• Brush the tops with lightly beaten egg white.
• Decorate tops with slivered almonds.
• Bake at 190 C (375 F) for about 12 minutes or until light golden brown.