It’s all about the spices. Make sure they are fresh!
Click here for Dutch version
This speculaas recipe is really not that different from the original speculaas recipe we have been using for years. The truth is the biggest diffidence is the addition of just a little bit more buttermilk and a touch of extra baking powder.
The most important ingredient to look out for is the right kind of spelt flour. It has to be fine or ‘white’ spelt flour, so not the whole grain variety. Of course you can go ahead and use it if you want to, but personally I think the cookie works best with the fine flour.
Almonds and speculaas are a classic and much loved combination. But the addition of candied orange peel is something you do not see that often. I came across it a while ago and decided to try it with these cookies and I just love how well the bitter orange works with the spices and almonds. Just make sure to chop /shred the candied peel as fine as possible. This way you get the excellent speculaas taste with hints of orange.
Of course it is perfectly fine to make the recipe without the slivered almonds or candied orange.
Happy baking!
Recipe for the speculaas spelt dough
175 g fine spelt flour
75 g dairy butter at room temperature
95 g soft light brown sugar
7 g / 2 tsps baking powder
3 g / 1/2 tsp baking soda
25 g buttermilk or milk/yoghurt combi
2.5 tsps / 7 g speculaas spices* (see recipe here)
few pinches of salt
Slivered almonds
Very finely chopped candied orange peel
fine rice flour to dust the molds
a speculaas mold made of wood
*Alternatively you can use mixed spices or pumpkin pie spices. If you are going to make the spice mixture yourself, you can make it in advance, so you’ll have it ready.
Preheat the oven at 165ºC / 330ºF conventional setting.
Sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices and add the very finely chopped orange peel.
Note: You can also leave out the baking soda. With it you will get a more brittle cookie, without it the cookie will be more crunchy.
Add the butter to the sugar and combine. Then add the buttermilk and beat until smooth. Add the flour mixture and quickly knead into a ball. Press the ball into a disc shape, cover and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. You can also make this dough a day in advance, so the ingredients get a chance to really blend together.
Take the dough out of the fridge. Sprinkle or brush rice flour in the speculaas molds. Press an amount of dough in the speculaas shapes and cut away the excess dough with a very sharp knife. Tap the shapes out of the molds (this is not that easy sometimes, they might need a bit of help from a blunt knife or guide them with your finger) and place them on a baking tray. You can add the flaked almonds at this stage by pressing the underside of the cookie in the flakes and placing them, flakes side down, on the baking tray.
Bake in the oven for about 14-16 minutes, depending on your oven. All ovens are different so you may have to vary your baking times and oven temperature to get the best result. Take them out and leave the speculaas on the baking tray for a few minutes to firm up. Transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
Eric says
Thanks! Despite loosing some definition due to the (modest) raising, the dough was easy enough to handle and the consistency was really great, snappy yet rich. The bake was very even too, so no bitter ends. Yum.
Weekend Bakers says
Hi Eric,
Thank you for letting us know. Great you liked the speculaas. For more definition you can use a bit more sugar or you can also put the cookies in the fridge before baking.
Stencils Cupcake & Cookie says
Love the thick consistency!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Really love it 🙂
Weekend Bakers says
To be honest the taste and texture of the cookies always win over the actual shape and the pattern 🙂
Wouter Groeneveld says
Hi there,
Thanks for the recipe, I am addicted to speculaas since my father baked it for me when I was young! I love your spice mixture but I do use less butter (35-40%) as otherwise it’ll get too soft for my taste. Raw unprocessed butter really is the norm here!
I did have a problem with the raising agent, as baking soda = natrium bicarbonate, which rises more outwards than upwards. Not that bad for a “sausage” shape, but it destroys the appeal of using molds. The solution is using amonium bicarbonate (“vlugzout”) instead! A trick I learned at the baking school. I hope this helps out someone…
Weekend Bakers says
Hi Wouter,
I know the stuff, originally made from Rudolph’s antlers (hartshorn / hertshoornzout). In Holland they also use it for ‘pepernoten’. It is rather hard to find for most people (plus the smell of ammonia, not something I am fond of I must say although it is just for a few minutes). That is why the option to bake the cookies with or without the baking soda could be something to try, depending on your own taste and (you are right) how well they will look as speculaas. In the end the most important thing is taste and texture of course, so I must try your advice about the butter too.
Thanks very much for sharing and happy baking!
Marieke
Wouter Groeneveld says
Wait what, I didn’t know it was made from animal particles? I’m a vegetarian. How is the modern stuff made then? I always try to be mindful with animal products, my dairy comes from a local farm where I can see the cows chewing on the grass 🙂
We did bake (croissants) with margarine a few times (special “toerboter”) but that turned out to be a chemical very bad tasting disaster, yuk! I also substitute the buttermilk with almond milk, I think that really goes well with speculaas.
Thanks for the info!
Weekend Bakers says
I am not sure what the exact origin is of the stuff you can buy today. You can read more about it here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…icarbonate
I heartily agree with you on both cows and butter! And I am going to try your tip with the almond milk.
Thanks,
Marieke