After visiting Holland about a year ago, I fell in love with Speculoos cookies – the traditional spice cookies we ate ton of in Amsterdam. It’s similar to graham cracker, yet much more spiced up with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom.
Photo: Natalie Levin
Speculoos – Dutch Spice Cookies
For the speculoos cookies:
- 75 grams soft butter
- 100 grams (1/2 cup) sugar
- 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
- pinch of ground black pepper
- pinh of ground nutmeg
- 45 ml. (3 tbsp.) water
- 140 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
- 100 grams (3/4 cup) whole wheat flour
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- In an electric mixer with paddle attachment, mix butter, sugar, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, ginger, cardamom, pepper, nutmeg and water until the mixture is smooth, soft and creamy.
- Add flour, whole wheat flour and baking soda and mix until dough forms. If the dough is still crumbly, gradually add 1-2 tablespoons of water. The dough should not be sticky, but tenfer and soft.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and, flatten to a disc shape and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about an hour.
- On a floured surface roll out the dough 4-5 mm thick and cut out cookies the size and shape you want.
- Place the cookies on oven trays lined with baking paper.
- Preheat oven to 170c degrees.
- Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until the cookies are golden.
- Cool completely and serve.
- Keep the speculoos cookies in a sealed jar for up to two weeks.
- You can add or exclude seasoning and spices according to your personal taste.