Best Speculaas Cookies Recipes

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 WINDMILL COOKIES)

Steps:

• In a bowl, beat the butter 30 seconds or until softened.
• Combine the remaining ingredients, except for the almonds, in a small bowl.
• Add half of this mixture into the butter. Stir until mixed.
• Add the remaining flour mixture and 1/3 cup almonds and stir until mixed.
• Divide dough in half.
• On lightly floured surface roll one portion ot the dough to 1/8" thickness.
• Cut into desired shapes, place on greased cookie sheet and decorate with remaining almonds (if desired).
• Repeat with second half of dough.
• Bake at 350 degrees 8-10 minutes, or until browned.
• Cool on cookie sheet one minute.
• Remove and allow to cool.

SPECULAAS COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, mace, white pepper, and cloves in a large bowl.
• Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in half the flour mixture. Beat in water, then remaining flour mixture. Shape into 3 disks. Pat each to a 1-inch thickness, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Dust surface and springerle mold lightly with confectioners' sugar. Roll out dough to a 1/4- to 3/8-inch thickness (deeper molds will need thicker dough). Cut a piece of dough about the size of the mold. Press mold firmly into dough, flip over, and gently roll over dough with a rolling pin. Flip over, and press onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a knife, trim excess dough. Gently coax dough out of mold with fingertips and onto a baking sheet. Repeat, spacing cookies 1 inch apart, and placing same-size cookies on same sheet. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place 1 sheet of cookies in oven, and immediately reduce temperature to 250. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until cookies are set and just beginning to turn light gold around edges, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

SPECULAAS - DUTCH COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine sugar and milk in a bowl.
• Stir until smooth.
• In another bowl, sift the dry ingredients and blend in the butter until the mixture is like cornmeal.
• Add the sugar and milk mixture and the almonds.
• Mix well.
• Wrap in foil, or wax paper and refrigerate overnight.
• Roll out the dough pretty thin.
• Use Christmas cookie cutters (or a windmill or other shaped cookie cutter if it isn't Christmas).
• Dust the cutter well with flour to be sure it doesn't stick.
• Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 10- 12 minutes.
• Remove and cool.

SPECULAAS COOKIES OR SPICY SINTERKLASS CAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve the brown sugar in milk. Combine the flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking powder and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the sugar and milk. Mix in 2 tablespoons of almonds and candied citron. Cut in the butter until it starts to form a dough, then knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Cover dough and chill for about 1 hour for easier handling.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Dust a wooden speculaas mold lightly with cornstarch. Firmly press the dough into the mold. Run a knife around the edges to trim off excess dough. Gently lift dough out of the mold or tap out onto a cookie sheet. Press remaining almond slivers into cookies to match the designs.
• Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, just until the edges begin to darken. If your cookies are more than 1/2 inch thick, bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for up to 30 minutes. Cool cookies on wire racks to crisp. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month. The flavor will get better with age.

SPECULAAS (DUTCH SPICE COOKIES OR WINDMILL COOKIES)

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Add egg.
• Add remaining ingredients and stir to form a stiff dough.
• If making the cookies without a mold, roll the dough into cylinders that are the diameter of your desired cookies.*
• Freeze for at least 20-30 minutes.
• Slice the chilled dough into thin (~1/4 inch) rounds and place on a cookie sheet. Cookies will spread a little bit upon baking.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
• *Also chill dough before pressing into molds or using cookie cutters.

MARTHA'S SPECULAAS COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low; beat in half the flour mixture. Beat in milk, followed by remaining flour mixture. Shape dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
• Line three baking sheets with parchment. Dab speculaas mold all over with a small piece of dough (this provides a light buttery coating that prevents sticking). Generously sprinkle mold with flour, tapping to remove excess. Take a piece of dough that is roughly the same size as the mold; using your palm, press into mold. Using a long, thin knife, scrape off excess dough. Invert mold over a prepared baking sheet; rap far end of the mold against the sheet, holding it at an angle to release the formed cookie. Sprinkle mold with more flour; repeat with remaining dough. Gather scraps (refrigerate if dough gets too soft) and form more cookies. Freeze at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake until firm and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer parchment with cookies to wire racks; let cool completely.

BELGIAN SPICE (SPECULAAS) COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream together first four ingredients.
• Sift together dry ingredients, pour into creamed ingredients.
• Stir until blended.
• Stir in the pecans.
• Form the dough into long rolls on wax paper and chill overnight in the refrigerator.
• Slice very thin (the family can't agree how thin "very" is) and place on cookie sheet.
• Bake at 400 degrees about 10 minutes.

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.

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.

NICK'S SPECULAAS COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, ginger, cloves, and white pepper. Stir well to combine.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and brown sugar on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce to low speed, and beat in half of the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Beat in milk; then add the remaining flour mixture. Continue to beat until a firm dough forms. Shape dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Wrap dough in plastic, and chill it in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place racks in upper and lower third of the oven. Line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
• Remove dough from the refrigerator. Dab mold all over with a small piece of dough; this provides a light buttery coating that will prevent sticking. Generously sprinkle mold with flour, tapping to remove any excess. Take a piece of dough that is roughly the same size as the mold, and press it with the palm of your hand into the mold. With a long thin knife, scrape away excess dough. Invert the mold over the baking sheet, and rap the far end of the mold against the pan, holding it at an angle to release the formed cookie. Use a paring knife to trim any excess dough. Reflour the mold, and repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Press together scraps of trimmed dough, and chill to prepare them for molding.
• Bake cookies until firm and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Slide parchment paper from each baking sheet to a rack to cool. Cookies may be stored between sheets of parchment paper in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

SPECULAAS HOLLAND COOKIES FOR SINTERKLAAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• For the dough stir together 1 1/2 cups flour with 1/3 cup flour,baking soda,salt,cinnamon,groud cloves,nutmeg.
• Next add the 3/4 cup brown sugar,mix well.
• Next cut in 1 1/2 sticks of butter and add the blanched almonds and milk.
• Knead everything together into a stiff dough,if its too stiff add 1/2 tablespoon of milk.
• Roll dough out on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness.
• Cut with cookie cutters into any shape you'd like.
• Lay out on lightly greased cookie sheet,bake about 20 minutes.