Speculoos cookies: spiced ginger and cinnamon cookies

The speculoos cookies have that charm that only a traditional recipe can bring, full of history and with a spicy touch that evokes the holidays. Originating from Belgium and the Netherlands, these crispy, full-flavored cookies are made with a blend of spices that gives them an aroma as distinctive as it is irresistible.

If there's something that always reminds me of the Christmas season, it's speculoos cookies. Not only for their spiced flavor, but for the aroma that fills the whole house while they bake. For me, speculoos cookies are a perfect combination of textures and flavors. They have that crunch that I always look for in a good cookie, and the spice mix —cinnamon, clove, ginger, among others — is simply delicious. At home they always disappear quickly, so I try to make a good batch and store them in a pretty jar that stays visible… although, to be honest, they don't last long there!

If you want to learn how to make speculoos cookies at home, I share the recipe with the ingredients and detailed steps. You'll see it's not difficult and that, with some pantry basics, you can give them a personal, unique touch. Also, these cookies keep for several days in perfect condition, making them ideal to have on hand or to give as gifts.

Ingredients (for 40 thin, crispy cookies)

• 220 g very soft butter, cut into cubes
• 220 g brown sugar or panela
• 310 g flour
• 5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground clove
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, mix all the spices to make the speculoos spice blend. That is, mix the 5 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, the teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of ground clove, 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom.
2. In the bowl of the KitchenAid stand mixer and with the flex-edge beater attached, add the softened butter and the brown sugar. Mix on low speed (at setting 2 or 4) for 2 minutes.
3. Add the flour, salt, baking powder and 1 tablespoon of the speculoos spice blend. Mix on speed 1 for 2 minutes. Add the egg and mix until a homogeneous dough forms.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 90 minutes (do not skip this step; chilling cookie dough is important to help the cookies keep their shape and bake properly).
5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a floured surface. Flatten it with a rolling pin (to keep the dough cold, I recommend using a marble rolling pin or a steel one).
6. Cut the cookies using a cookie cutter, and place the discs on the Naturals baking sheet. Use the Nordic Ware cookie stamps dusted with flour to create beautiful patterns on the cookies.
7. Place it in a preheated oven at 180 °C and bake for 15 minutes. The cookies will be soft when you take them out of the oven, but they will harden once cooled. Let them rest on a cooling rack.

This speculoos cookie recipe is perfect to enjoy and impress. Who can resist the spiced, crunchy touch of such an iconic cookie?