Speculaas Origin & History
Speculaas are a Dutch spiced cookie that dates back to the 17th century. The tradition of making and eating speculaas cookies is most closely tied to the Sinterklaas festivities in the Netherlands, which take place on December 5th (Sinterklaasavond) and December 6th (St. Nicholas' Day). These days are part of a larger winter celebration that marks the arrival of Sinterklaas, the Dutch precursor to Santa Claus. Sinterklaasavond (St. Nicholas' Eve): The night of December 5th is when the Sinterklaas festivities are in full swing. On this evening, children traditionally put out their shoes, and in return, they receive small gifts, candies, and often speculaas cookies. The name "speculaas" is derived from the Latin word speculum, which means "mirror." This refers to the way the intricate designs on the cookies were once created by pressing dough into carved wooden molds. These molds often depicted images of saints, scenes, or festive symbols, such as those associated with the feast of Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas). The spiced flavor profile of speculaas, which includes cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and sometimes white pepper, is inspired by the region's history of spice trade. In the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) played a major role in importing spices from Asia, and these spices became widely used in Dutch baking. Recipe Notes/Why I Love These Cookies These cookies are thin, crisp and aromatic. Perfect for dunking in a cup of coffee or tea. I love baking things that have history attached. There's something wonderful about preparing something that has been appreciated for centuries. What makes Speculaas special are the beautiful imprinted designs that adorn the cookies, made simply by using a stamp to press into the dough before baking. You can use whatever you'd like. A cookie stamp, an embossed rolling pin, or even the bottom/sides of a glass with designs on it. Don't just make these because they are pretty - they are also delicious, and a cookie I plan to make every Christmas...or any time of year!
Making Speculaas
Step 1. Cream together vegan butter, brown sugar & white sugar using a hand mixer. I don't whip it as long as I would in other baking recipes. I didn't test it, but I wanted my stamped cookie to have a visible design once baked. Typically you whip things to incorporate air when you are trying to achieve extra leavening, which is what I am trying to avoid. Simply mix until smooth and combined.
Step 2. Add flax egg (ground flax mixed with water until gelled) and vanilla.
Step 3. Add flour, baking powder, (I used a reduced amount in this recipe, because again I didn't want extra leavening) salt and spices. (The proper way is to whisk dry ingredients together first in a bowl then add to the wet mix, as you can see in the photo I didn't do that, I kinda just give them a little whisk on top of the wet to combine, then mix it all in. The one bowl/lazy way)
Step 4. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes before proceeding to roll and stamp cookies.
Step 5. Flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll chilled dough to 1/4 inch thick. Dip cookie press in flour to prevent sticking, and press evenly into dough to imprint design.
Step 6. Use a circular cutter slightly larger than stamped image (or cut around whatever shape..if a generic design was imprinted all over the dough, you might be able to just cut the entire thing into diamonds or squares and prevent the need to re roll scraps!)
Transfer cookies to lined baking sheet leaving a bit of space between each cookie. They shouldn't spread while baking. Bake for about 13- 15 minutes. Mine took the longer amount of time. I just lifted a cookie up with a spatula to check the bottoms - they are done when golden brown underneath and a bit around edges. You can sprinkle the cookies with coarse sugar before or after baking if desired.
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January 2025
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