Speculaas

Ingredients

  • 150g light brown candi sugar, such as Brewer’s Best, or deeply toasted sugar

  • 115g unsalted butter, preferably european 84% fat, soft but cool, about 70°F

  • 4 teaspoons Spice mix

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 200g all-purpose or Type 00 flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 egg

Directions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a regular bowl with a hand mixer, combine sugar with butter, spice mix and salt. Cream on medium speed until fluffy, soft, and pale, about 5-10 minutes, pausing to scrape the bowl and paddle as needed if the sugar seems dense and compacted at the bottom of the bowl.

  2. While creaming on medium speed, add the flour, baking soda and egg. Continue mixing until the dough begins to gather around the paddle.

  3. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position, and preheat to convection bake 325°F or conventional bake 350°F.

  4. Turn the dough onto a clean surface, and knead gently to form a ball. Pat into a rectangular shape, then dust with flour, above and below. Roll to a thickness of around 6mm. Slide an offset spatula beneath the dough to loosen, and brush away the excess flour.

  5. Apply design on the dough using an embossed rolling pin or stamps, then cut into desired shapes using a cookie cutter or pastry wheel.

  6. Bake until cookies are golden brown, about 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through if needed to ensure even browning. Cool to room temperature directly on the baking sheet; the cookies will not crisp until fully cool.

  7. Enjoy with coffee, and store leftovers in an airtight container up to 1 month at room temperature.