Speculaas before Sinterklaas
From the middle of November every supermarket here fills up with speculaas: thin, crunchy biscuits that smell of cinnamon and cloves. This year I finally tried making my own before Sinterklaas.
The spice mix
You can buy ready-made speculaaskruiden, and that is what most people use. I mixed my own from what was in the cupboard: mostly cinnamon, then nutmeg, cloves, ginger, a little cardamom and a pinch of white pepper. The pepper sounds strange but you notice when it is missing.
The dough
- Flour, cold butter and dark soft brown sugar (basterdsuiker).
- A generous spoon of the spice mix and a pinch of salt.
- A splash of milk to bring it together.
The important part is time: wrap the dough and leave it in the fridge overnight. The spices get much stronger, and cold dough is far easier to roll thin.
Baking
I do not own the carved wooden moulds, so I rolled the dough thin, cut rectangles and pressed a fork pattern on top. Bake until the edges darken slightly; they crisp up as they cool.
They were not as neat as the shop ones, but the kitchen smelled of December for two days. I will make a double batch next year.