Speculaas, Crispy Dutch Spice Cookies with Fragrant Cinnamon
🧂 Ingredients
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- 300 grams medium-protein all-purpose flour
- 175 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
- 150 grams muscovado brown sugar (or liquid palm sugar, packed)
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 3 tbsp chopped almonds (optional, for topping)
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👩🍳 Instructions
- 1 Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and all the ground spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cardamom) in one bowl. Stir well and set aside.
- 2 In a separate bowl, beat the butter and muscovado brown sugar using a mixer or whisk until smooth and well combined, about 2-3 minutes. There's no need to beat it until pale and fluffy like buttercream.
- 3 Pour in the milk and beat briefly until incorporated.
- 4 Add the spiced flour mixture into the butter mixture little by little, stirring with a spatula or your hands until the dough is smooth and can be shaped, no longer sticking to your hands.
- 5 Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, flatten it into a disk, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour so the butter firms up and the dough is easier to shape.
- 6 Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Prepare a flat baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.
- 7 Remove the dough from the fridge, lightly dust the countertop with flour, then roll out the dough to about 0.5 cm (1/4 inch) thick.
- 8 Cut out the dough using cookie cutters in any design you like (traditionally windmill or animal shapes), and place them on the baking sheet with space between each cookie.
- 9 Sprinkle the surface of the cookies with chopped almonds if desired, pressing gently so they stick.
- 10 Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center feels slightly set to the touch.
- 11 Remove from the oven and let the speculaas cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. The cookies will fully harden and become crisp once completely cooled.
- 12 Store in an airtight container to keep them crisp; they'll stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.
💡 Tips
• Use genuine muscovado brown sugar for a more authentic caramel aroma, rather than just granulated sugar mixed with instant caramel flavoring.
• The dough must be chilled in the fridge so it's easy to shape and doesn't spread too much while baking.
• Don't roll the dough too thick, since authentic speculaas is meant to be thin and crisp, not thick like regular cookies.
• If you don't have all the individual ground spices on hand, you can use a pre-made 'speculaas spice' blend or spice cake mix, which is widely available at baking supply stores, as a convenient substitute.
📊 Nutrition Facts / serving
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