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Recipe for Spicy Sinterklaas Cookies (Speculaas) | Almanac.com

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Spicy Sinterklaas Cookies (Speculaas)

Photo Credit
Sam Jones/Quinn Brein
Yield
Makes about 18 to 24 cookies.
Category
Cookies and Bars
Course
Desserts
Occasions
Christmas
Thanksgiving
Preparation Method
Bake
Sources
Old Farmer's Almanac
December 1, 2021
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Traditionally, these cookies represent St. Nicholas (Sinterklaas) and are baked for his feast day (December 6). They have a delicious spice taste with hints of orange—and pair perfectly with a cold glass of milk. Check out our St. Nicholas Day page to learn more!

Ingredients
2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon each ground cloves and cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each ground nutmeg and ginger
1 pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons chopped blanched almonds
2 tablespoons minced candied fruit
10 tablespoons (1-1/4 sticks) butter, softened
large slivers of blanched almonds and candied fruit, for decoration
Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and milk, and stir until smooth. Add the flour, spices, salt, baking powder, almonds, and fruit. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender. Chill. Preheat oven to 350° F. If using a wooden speculaas mold, dust it with cornstarch, covering every bit of carving. Firmly press the dough into the mold, then run a sharp knife along the edges of the design. Gently lift the dough or tap it onto a greased cookie sheet. To make cutout cookies, roll the dough about 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutters. Press almond slivers and fruit onto the cookies wherever they fit into the design. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Let them cool and crisp on a rack.

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Comments

kathy (not verified)

2 years 9 months ago

I checked and rechecked every ingredient and measured carefully but the resulting mixture was like sand, way too dry to pull together. I chilled it anyway to no avail. I ended up having to add almost another 1/3 c milk to create a roll-able dough. I looked back at the recipe again and it calls for only 2 tbsp milk! I wonder if anyone else tried this recipe and had the same issue? Otherwise, the flavor of the cookies was delicious and they did bake up well with the extra milk I had to add. (Added it at the end instead of in the beginning with the sugar so I was worried.) Did the recipe possibly get published incorrectly? Thanks to anyone for follow up comment(s). Happy St. Nicholas Day!! Good wishes for the holiday season and for the coming year.

Bklyncowgirl (not verified)

2 years 9 months ago

Patsy, I hear ya'. I googled which to use and found recipes that used one or the other. I even saw a recipe that used both! I did come upon a recipe that reported to be an authentic, old fashioned recipe that used something called 'baker's ammonia' (ammonium bicarbonate) that pre-dated baking soda and has a different chemical make-up. This can be purchased on Amazon for about $10/lb. If you want to check out her recipe it's called Traditional Speculoos Cookies on The Daring Gourmet website. Good luck.

patsy hairell (not verified)

2 years 9 months ago

your directions call for baking powder, but your comment response to a reader baking soda, so is the ingredients baking powder or baking soda?

Debi Pugh (not verified)

9 years 9 months ago

I have cookie molds that I have collected over the years... I can't wait to try this recipe

Ladonna Sanders (not verified)

13 years 9 months ago

Do you use self-rising? Can I use it?

The recipe has Baking powder so I think you should be able to use plain flour?

This is a recipe based on U.S. measurements.  It's probably best to stick to plain flour and add the specificied amount of baking soda.