Recipe

November 22, 2019

Speculaas

Recipe: Jordan Gordanier

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Prep Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Speculaas are crisp Dutch spice cookies often embossed with a windmill design. Blackbird Baking Co. makes its version as small rounds and etches them with a windmill-like pattern, but you can use the tines of a fork to make a simpler design. If you can’t find small eggs, just beat a large egg and weigh out the quantity needed.

Ingredients

Spice Mix

  • 5 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 3⁄4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1⁄2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1⁄2 tsp ground aniseed
  • 1⁄2 tsp ground white pepper
  • 1⁄2 tsp ground coriander seed

Dough

  • 330 g (2 2⁄3 cups minus 1 tbsp) all-purpose flour
  • 3⁄4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1⁄2 tsp kosher salt
  • 3 tbsp Spice Mix
  • 3⁄4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 150 g (3⁄4 cup lightly packed) dark brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp white sugar
  • 1 small egg (42 g)
  • 1 tbsp milk

Glaze

  • 2 tsp warm water
  • 1 1⁄2 tsp instant coffee powder
  • 1 egg yolk

Directions

Yield: Makes about 80 small cookies

Plan Ahead: Dough needs to chill for 1 hour before cutting out shapes.

Make Spice Mix

  1. Combine all ground spices. You will have more Spice Mix than you need. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Make Speculaas

  1. In bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and measured Spice Mix. Reserve.
  2. In bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until fully incorporated. Add milk and beat until uniform. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined.
  3. Lay 2 pieces of plastic wrap on countertop and divide dough between them. Wrap balls and flatten into discs. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until dough is firm but pliable.
  4. Roll out dough on floured surface to about 3 mm thick. Use 1 3⁄4″ round cookie cutter to cut out rounds, and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Place baking sheets in freezer for 15 minutes before etching cookies with pattern.
  5. Preheat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, combine warm water and coffee powder and stir until dissolved. Add egg yolk and beat to combine. Remove cookies from freezer 1 sheet at a time and immediately brush with glaze. Use skewer or fork to etch a hatched design into surface of cookies.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned at edges. Transfer to rack and cool completely. Store in airtight container.
Photographer:

Maya Visnyei

Source:

House & Home November 2019

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