Speculoos cookies: spiced ginger and cinnamon cookies

Speculoos cookies have that charm that only a traditional recipe can bring, full of history and with a spicy touch that evokes the festivities . Originally from Belgium and the Netherlands, these crunchy and flavorful cookies are made with a mixture of spices that gives them an aroma that is as particular as it is irresistible.

If there’s one thing that always reminds me of Christmas time, it’s speculoos cookies. Not only because of their spicy flavour, but because of the aroma that fills the whole house while they’re baking. For me, speculoos cookies are a perfect combination of textures and flavours. They have that crunch that I always look for in a good cookie, and the hint of spices – cinnamon, cloves, ginger , among others – is simply delicious. They always disappear quickly at home, so I try to make a good amount and store them in a nice jar that can be seen… although, to be honest, they don’t last long there!

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

Ingredients (for 40 thin and 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 cloves
• 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 together to make the speculoos spice mix. That is, mix the 5 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom.
2. In the bowl of the KitchenAid mixer , with the flexible beater attached, add the softened butter and brown sugar. Mix on low speed (position 2 or 4) for 2 minutes.
3. Add the flour, salt, baking powder and 1 tablespoon of the speculoos spice mix. Mix on speed 1 for 2 minutes. Add the egg and mix until smooth.
4. Wrap the dough in cling film and leave it in the refrigerator for 90 minutes (do not skip this step, the cooling process of the cookie dough is important, so that it maintains its shape and bakes 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 or steel rolling pin).
6. Cut out the cookies using a cookie cutter, and arrange the discs on the Naturals baking sheet . Use floured Nordic Ware cookie stamps to create beautiful patterns on the cookies.
7. Place 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 firm up once they cool. Place them on a cooling rack.

This speculoos cookie recipe is perfect for enjoying and surprising. Who can resist the spicy and crunchy touch of such iconic cookies?