Speculaas
Remember the windmill cookies you used to eat as a child? Maybe you never stopped eating them. They’re called Speculaas, odd name, tasty cookie. The word means figurine or log. They used to be a tradition during a holiday called St Nicholas’ Eve in Belgium and the Netherlands. Now they’re available year round. The spice mix can be bought at speciality stores or you can make your own. You can use it in your favourite sugar cookie recipe, in pancakes or as below, in a traditional almond biscotti recipe.
SPECULAAS ALMOND BISCOTTI
2014-09-23 13:31:26
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup chopped roasted almonds
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp speculaas spice mix (see recipe below)
Instructions
- Turn oven to 350F.
- Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit a cookie sheet.
- Put all ingredients in a large bowl.
- Mix with spoon until you can't mix anymore and then use your hands.
- Once everything is nicely combined and not sticky (if sticky, add a bit of flour) shape into a flat log, about 3in x 12in).
- Place in oven and lower temp to 300F, bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool.
- Slice diagonally about 1/2in to 3/4in wide.
- Place on cookie sheet and bake about 20 minutes each side, or enough to crisp up.
A Cook Not Mad - Food and Travel Blog https://www.acooknotmad.com/
SPECULAAS SPICE MIX
2014-09-23 13:34:33
Ingredients
- 4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 tsp mace (optional)
Notes
- (To make it more authentic, take 1 tsp anise seeds and 1 tsp coriander seeds, place in mortar and pestle and bring up, add to mix. If you don't have a spice grinder available, you can buy the spices already ground and add 1/2 tsp each)
A Cook Not Mad - Food and Travel Blog https://www.acooknotmad.com/
I loved windmill cookies when I was a kid. When we moved to France I found Specalous (spelled that way here) cookies. Many cafés will serve a tiny one with an espresso. So yummy.