SPECULAAS COOKIES OR SPICY SINTERKLASS CAKES

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Speculaas Cookies or Spicy Sinterklass Cakes image

This traditional Dutch cookie recipe came with a mold I got 20 years ago. Speculaas is a corruption of the Latin speculum (mirror). The dough is pressed into carved molds that can be used for wall decorations. When turned out onto the cookie sheet, the picture appears as its mirror image, hence the name. In the Sinterklass season they are available in 2/3 cookie size to huge thick men and women up to 1 pound known as lovers. If molds are not available, roll dough to desired thickness and use gingerbread man cutter or other cutter shapes. They are great to make ahead around Christmas because they last a long time.

Provided by Harriet A. Schipper

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Dutch

Time 1h30m

Yield 30

Number Of Ingredients 13

2 tablespoons milk
⅔ cup dark brown sugar
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped slivered almonds
2 tablespoons chopped candied citron
⅔ cup butter
½ cup slivered almonds

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.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 96.7 calories, Carbohydrate 10.9 g, Cholesterol 10.9 mg, Fat 5.4 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 1.4 g, SaturatedFat 2.7 g, Sodium 56.1 mg, Sugar 3.3 g

Sarfrazmalik Malik
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I made these cookies for my family and they loved them! They're the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.


Unstopable Gaming
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These cookies are the perfect holiday treat! They're delicious, festive, and easy to make. I highly recommend them.


Khan Ghulab
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I love the flavor of these cookies, but they were a bit too soft for my taste. I think I'll try baking them for a few minutes longer next time.


Sk noyon Sowdagor
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These cookies were delicious! I made them for a Christmas party and they were a big hit. I will definitely be making them again.


Miguel Pauwels
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I've been making these cookies for years, and they're always a hit. They're the perfect cookie for a holiday party.


BIBEK DHAMI
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These cookies were a bit too sweet for my taste, but they were still good. I think I'll try using less sugar next time.


Lulu Hamade
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I made these cookies for my family and they loved them! They're the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.


Mark Tapo
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These cookies are the perfect holiday treat! They're delicious, festive, and easy to make. I highly recommend them.


Tiffany Chastain
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I love the flavor of these cookies, but they were a bit too soft for my taste. I think I'll try baking them for a few minutes longer next time.


Chaa Khan
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I've never made speculaas cookies before, but these were easy to make and turned out great! They're the perfect holiday cookie.


Imraan Imraan
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These cookies were delicious! I made them for a Christmas party and they were a big hit. I will definitely be making them again.


Loute Paul
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I followed the recipe exactly, but my cookies turned out dry and crumbly. I'm not sure what went wrong.


ConnerT Gaming
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These cookies were a bit too spicy for my taste, but my husband loved them. He said they were the best speculaas cookies he's ever had.


namastenepal dhaulagiriguesthouse
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I've been making these cookies for years, and they're always a favorite. They're the perfect combination of spicy and sweet, and they're always a hit at holiday parties.


Mazharul Islam Tazul
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These cookies were easy to make and turned out great! I used a mix of white and brown sugar, and I added a bit of extra cinnamon. They were the perfect addition to my holiday cookie platter.


Jacob Dillon
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I'm not usually a fan of speculaas cookies, but these were delicious! The spices were subtle and the cookies were nice and soft. I'll definitely be making these again.


Alfred Lackey
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These speculaas cookies were a hit at my holiday party! They had the perfect balance of spices and sweetness, and they were nice and crispy. I'll definitely be making these again next year.