East Meets West Speculaas

October 23, 2013 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

We’re recipe testing for Christmas, which is why there’s been a flurry of cookies in our kitchen of late!

Speculaas are always popular here – they’re spicy, crisp and an ideal dunking biscuit. However, we’ve never been able to turn out pretty moulded ones like the traditional versions.

When I read Sawsan’s blog post on making moulded bread, it suddenly dawned on me that I could use my kaak and ma’moul moulds to shape the dough. In particular, her suggestion to line the plastic moulds with cling film proved to be a lifesaver!

I started by reworking our recipe and substituting half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) in place of the baking powder. Part of the problem in the past has been that the dough rose too much on baking, causing loss of definition. I also rejigged the flour to butter ratio to make a stiffer dough, and mixed it all together in our large food processor.

450g (3 cups) plain (AP) flour
pinch of fine sea salt
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), sifted
225g (8oz) brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
¼ – ½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground anise seed
200g (7oz) unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
2 large (59g) free range eggs
flaked almonds

Note: I have a strong, large food processor – you might need to halve quantities if yours is smaller.

1. In a large food processor, blitz together the flour, salt, sifted bicarb, sugar and all the spices. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

2. In a small bowl, beat the eggs together, then add to the mixture and pulse until the mixture starts to forms into a ball.

3. Turn the stiff dough into a bowl and mix any remaining dry bits in by hand. Refrigerate until cold, preferably overnight.

4. Divide the dough into quarters and use one portion at a time, keeping the remainder chilled until needed. Lay a sheet of cling film over the mould. Preheat the oven to 175C (350F) or 160C (320F) with fan, and line two trays with parchment paper.

5. Roll a small ball of dough and flatten it onto the mould with your hand…

6. Scatter a few flaked almonds over the top and gently press them in…

7. Using the cling film, lift the cookie off the mould and invert it onto a parchment lined tray. Using round cutters, trim the cookie into an even shape…

8. Alternatively, line a ma’moul mould with cling film and push the dough into the holes…

9. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack and then store in an airtight container.

I found that the moulds with the deepest markings left the clearest designs on the finished cookies…

The almonds on the back add a traditional touch…

I’m really very pleased with how these turned out! They’ll definitely make the Christmas baking list, along with the Spritz cookies and a few of the slice and bake rolls. Sawsan, thanks for the inspiration!

Posted in Recipes | 76 Comments

76 Responses

on October 23, 2013 at 2:50 pm lambsearsandhoney

I just love speculaas so thanks for this recipe. I won’t be doing the shaping bizzo (too lazy), but can’t wait to try them!
- on October 24, 2013 at 5:58 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Amanda, squelch the almonds into the dough, shape it into a log, chill it, then slice and bake. :) They’ll still taste the same, but much easier to make!
on October 23, 2013 at 3:26 pm Jacqueline

Thanks so much Celia. My mother immigrated here from Germany as a small child. Now that my grandmother is gone, Christmas baking is about all we have left of our heritage. I’m thrilled to have a recipe of a Christmas favourite to adapt for our various dietary requirements, and even more thrilled to have another kitchen gadget – and local source for said gadget – to look out for!
As a new follower, it’s been a treat to read your blog. SOO wonderful to find a list of Sydney suppliers too; thank you!
- on October 24, 2013 at 5:58 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Jacqueline, thanks for stopping by! I don’t know how authentic this recipe is, but I hope you can adapt it to something which resembles the ones you grew up with! :)
on October 23, 2013 at 4:02 pm ChgoJohn

I’ve never heard of speculaas, Celia, though a quick Google helped me out. Even without knowing much about them, these have the holidays written all over ’em. The spices scream Christmas and would fill you home with the scent of the holiday. Very interesting to see how you produced speculaas with the decorative tops. I would have had no idea of how to proceed once the dough was made. My strengths lie in eating cookies, not preparing them. :)
- on October 24, 2013 at 5:59 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Thanks John! I’m pretty good at eating them as well, if I’m honest.. ;-)
on October 23, 2013 at 4:56 pm Rose

Excellent work Celia, Mrs Cacky Handed will admire from afar.
- on October 24, 2013 at 6:00 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  You’d nail these first time, Rose! :)
on October 23, 2013 at 4:58 pm theintolerantchef

Don’t these look great Celia! I’ll have to make these and use my moulds- thanks for showing me how sweetie xox
- on October 24, 2013 at 6:02 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Becca, they’re so versatile! Now that I have Swansan’s tip to line them with Gladwrap, I reckon there are oodles of options! I remember you having a very nice recipe for bikkies that held their shape – the ones you stamped with the “Home Made” press – they’d probably work really well with these moulds as well?
on October 23, 2013 at 5:17 pm niasunset

This should be called, art in the kitchen…I loved it dear Celia, Thank you, love, nia
- on October 24, 2013 at 6:02 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Nia, you’re always so kind, thank you! xx
on October 23, 2013 at 5:32 pm nancy@jamjnr.com

Aren’t you the clever cookie working that out….
- on October 24, 2013 at 6:02 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Ha! Thanks Nancy! I love it when one idea segues into another.. ;-)
on October 23, 2013 at 5:37 pm saucygander

These look great! I just got a ma’amoul mould and it’s good to find another use for it.
- on October 24, 2013 at 6:02 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Saucy, the plastic ones are great for chocolate as well!
  - on October 24, 2013 at 1:05 pm saucygander
    
    Wow, you just gave me a reason to look for these moulds! :-D
on October 23, 2013 at 6:32 pm teawithhazel

i love speculaas and yours look delicious celia..
- on October 24, 2013 at 6:04 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Jane, thank you! They were fun (if time consuming) to make!
on October 23, 2013 at 6:48 pm Jeannette

That’s something I’ve never heard of before, a ma,amoul , what is it, please? Your speculaas look lovely, I have made those before but your recipe looks so good I will try it.
- on October 24, 2013 at 6:06 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Jeannette, they’re a Middle Eastern sweet cake! I’ve never made them, but here are Sawsan and Glenda’s posts…
  
  http://chefindisguise.com/2012/08/12/maamoul-stuffed-shortbread-cookies/
  
  http://passionfruitgarden.com/2013/03/10/mamool-walnut-and-date-biscuits/
on October 23, 2013 at 7:30 pm Pat Machin

They look great. I much prefer thin crisp cookies (we call them biscuits) rather than the thicker chewy ones.
- on October 24, 2013 at 5:51 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Pat, we call them biscuits too. These are hard and crunchy, but I find I can only get them really thin and crispy if I shape them into a roll and then slice and bake them. I squelched a handful of flaked almonds into the leftover dough from this batch and rolled it into a log. It’s now sitting in the freezer so I can make thin sliced bikkies, like these! :)
on October 23, 2013 at 8:16 pm Anne @ Life in Mud Spattered Boots

Celia, how big are your kitchen cupboards? They must be like Mary Poppins’ bag to hold all your equipment and the enormous amount of food you cook.
- on October 24, 2013 at 5:53 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Anne, my husband is very, very clever with storage. :) And half the cookies went to the neighbours!
on October 23, 2013 at 8:47 pm Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella

Nice blend of spices Celia! I have a specullos spice mix that I made up after a Daring Baker’s challenge. One of the spices was white pepper which was really interesting!
- on October 24, 2013 at 5:53 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  When I was reading recipes, I noticed that some had white pepper in the ingredients list. I should have added some! :)
on October 23, 2013 at 9:13 pm Sawsan@ Chef in disguise

Oh Celia thank you so much for the mention. I am really happy my post helped with these stunning cookies. I love speculaas but I usually make the ones stuffed with almond paste. I am sure doing them your way would result in amazing crunchy cookies I can’t wait to try!
- on October 24, 2013 at 5:54 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Sawsan, it was a fabulous tip to line the moulds with cling film, thank you! I’ve never seen filled speculaas before, I’ll have to google that! :)
  - on October 24, 2013 at 4:12 pm Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
    
    We made them for a daring bakers challenge once and I have been addicted to them ever since. They are called gevulde speculaas. Here is the challenge recipe http://chefindisguise.com/2013/01/27/gevulde-speculaas-dutch-spice-cookies-filled-with-almond-paste/
    - on October 25, 2013 at 6:01 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
      
      Fabulous! I’ll have a look, thank you! :)
on October 23, 2013 at 9:17 pm Norma Chang

Congratulations, I just knew you would figure out a way to make those cookies just the way you want them. One question, how do you keep track of all the gadgets you have? You must be an extrememly organized person.
- on October 24, 2013 at 5:56 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  It’s funny Norma, a friend of mine is buying a Thermomix, and I told her I’d never get one, because I actually LIKE the gadgets I have to do specific tasks (and do them well), not have an “jack of all trades” device. Having said that, I’m delighted that these moulds have proven useful for everything from cookies to chocolate! :)
on October 23, 2013 at 9:19 pm Spoon Feast

Very nice! This is another good reason to visit a baking store this weekend. I hope you are safe from all the fires there.
- on October 24, 2013 at 5:57 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Pamela, thank you! Yes, we’re fine here, fires are about an hour and a half away from us.
  - on October 24, 2013 at 6:13 am Spoon Feast
    
    Be safe! I’m thinking about you and hoping it gets under control soon.
    - on October 24, 2013 at 6:18 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
      
      Thanks Pam. We’re hoping for cooler weather today…
on October 23, 2013 at 9:20 pm Maureen | Orgasmic Chef

I really like this recipe and they look amazing. You are to be admired for starting all this in October. I’m just finishing winter. :)
- on October 24, 2013 at 6:07 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Some years we start thinking about Christmas the week before! This year, we were playing with cookies, so it’s fun to test some things out! No jam this year, methinks, we haven’t been to the markets much!
on October 23, 2013 at 11:07 pm Sophie33

I love your special pans to decorate your speculaas cookies, they look fantastic, my dear friend!!!! Yum Yum Yum.c😀😀
- on October 24, 2013 at 6:08 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Sophie, thank you! They’re actually not made for speculaas at all, I was just experimenting! :)
  - on October 24, 2013 at 4:15 pm Sophie33
    
    I thought so! :) good for you!
on October 24, 2013 at 12:14 am Glenda

Hi Celia, that seems much easier than the windmill moulds!
- on October 24, 2013 at 6:10 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Glenda, not nearly as pretty as your windmill ones, but at least they held their shape! I wonder if the gladwrap will work with wooden moulds?
on October 24, 2013 at 12:22 am sallybr

The combination of Celia + Sawsan could only result in a masterpiece of the greatest proportion!

awesome job, Celia….
- on October 24, 2013 at 6:11 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Thanks Sally! xx
on October 24, 2013 at 12:47 am Judy @Savoring Today

Mmm, spiced cookies are a must at Christmas, these are perfect for the holidays. :) Like Maureen, I too am impressed you got started in October.
- on October 24, 2013 at 6:11 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Judy, thank you…we’re not usually this organised! Often it’s the week before Chrissie before we start thinking about what to make! :)
on October 24, 2013 at 1:45 am dishnthekitchen

I bet these cookies would survive a postal trip to Canada..just saying!
- on October 24, 2013 at 6:12 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Oh yes, they’re very sturdy.. ;-)
on October 24, 2013 at 6:07 am Promenade Claire

Genius! And isn’t Sawsan’s blog brilliant too. I’ve saved your cookie recipe as I’m experimenting with pumpkin cookies and like the look of yours more than mine :)
- on October 24, 2013 at 6:12 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Claire, pumpkin cookies! I’m amazed how creative everyone is getting with all their Autumn harvests! I think spiced pumpkin cookies would be fabulous! And yes, Swansan’s blog is absolutely wonderful!
on October 24, 2013 at 6:11 am andreamynard

Your cookies are so beautiful – I love your moulds! The recipe looks pretty tasty too with those spices.
- on October 24, 2013 at 6:13 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Andrea, thank you! I was pretty happy with how they turned out! :)
on October 24, 2013 at 6:15 am hotlyspiced

Recipe testing for Christmas? I had better get started. I love how you re-work recipes to get the results you want. These speculaas look very good and I’ve also had that problem with biscuits rising too much so that the pattern all but disappears – sad face when I take them from the oven! xx
- on October 24, 2013 at 6:19 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Charlie, I’ve been trying to make shaped shortbread for years – you know the Scottish ones in a big round? I’ve never succeeded – might be time to try again!
on October 24, 2013 at 8:48 am Le Petit Potager

They look gorgeous Celia! I have a terracotta cookie stamp I’ve never, used an ideal recipe for its first outing. I have the older 5100 magimix with 1000w motor, not as powerful as yours; perhaps it would be a good idea to try a half recipe first.
- on October 25, 2013 at 5:58 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Elaine, so happy to hear you’re home safely! The recipe should scale down well – no half eggs or anything like that.. ;-)
on October 24, 2013 at 8:50 am Le Petit Potager

I forgot to say I returned home this morning; nice to be off the rollercoaster
on October 24, 2013 at 1:42 pm Barbara Bamber | justasmidgen

You’re really just the best baker, Celia! I saw those speculaas and was wondering how on earth you pulled this one off:D Unreal, they’re pretty, beautifully designed and delicate. The perfect Christmas cookie, everyone will “ooh and ahh” when they see these.. xx
- on October 25, 2013 at 5:59 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Barb, thank you! They were fun, if fiddly, to make! :) I wonder if I could hang them off the tree?
  - on October 25, 2013 at 7:34 am Barbara Bamber | justasmidgen
    
    You could.. but they might start disappearing:D
on October 24, 2013 at 5:35 pm Tandy | Lavender and Lime

So much fun to test and taste!
- on October 25, 2013 at 5:59 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Tandy, you’re the queen of tinkering with a recipe! :)
on October 24, 2013 at 8:01 pm ramblingtart

So scrumptious! These cookies were a huge part of my life growing up in a European family. :-)
- on October 25, 2013 at 5:59 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  That must have been wonderful! :)
on October 24, 2013 at 9:18 pm My Kitchen Stories

Oh yes, I love them and they look so good like this. I want one tomorrow….OK?
- on October 25, 2013 at 6:00 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Of course! Then I’ll take you to buy the moulds.. ;-)
on October 24, 2013 at 9:43 pm Lisa the Gourmet Wog

Gorgeous Celia! Where did you buy those moulds from? I can’t seem to find any out my way. Might have to do a trip out West…
- on October 25, 2013 at 6:00 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  They’re at Harkola, Lisa! In limited supply though, so don’t leave it too long! :)
on October 24, 2013 at 10:03 pm italyonmymind

What beautiful looking cookies – I LOVE those moulds. And many lovely photos too :))
- on October 25, 2013 at 6:00 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Thanks for stopping by! The moulds are fabulous, and have had so many uses! :)
on October 27, 2013 at 2:37 pm Sally

So pretty. I brought back a mould from Germany many years ago and I haven’t used it for ages. Great recipe and tips.
- on October 30, 2013 at 4:49 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Sally, I’d love to have an authentic mould, but I DO like being able to put the plastic ones in the dishwasher! :)
on October 30, 2013 at 6:15 am dianeskitchentable

Oh my do these sounds like the perfect afternoon snack. I love the moulds you have & the cookies look perfect.
- on October 30, 2013 at 6:19 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Thanks Di! Small Man is particularly taken with them!