SPECULOOS COOKIES

Today’s recipe is a kind of cookie, typical from some Central Europe countries in Christmas.

The mix of spices that are used characterizes these cookies. They are usually made in special molds of carved wood with Christmas motifs.
As I didn’t have these molds I made them with a snowflake cutter.

So, here you’ve got the recipe and I hope you like it!

Ingredients:
300 g flour (10.6 oz.)
155 g butter at room temperature (5.5 oz.)
160 g brown sugar (5.6 oz.)
1 egg L
1 teaspoon of baking powder
½ teaspoon of baking soda
A pinch of salt

Spice mix:
3 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon of ground clove
¾ teaspoon of ground ginger
⅓ teaspoon of ground nutmeg
⅓ teaspoon of ground white pepper
⅓ teaspoon of ground cardamom

Start sifting the flour with the salt, the baking powder and the baking soda and reserve.
Beat the butter with the spices.
Add the sugar until it’s creamy.
Next add the egg.
Add the dry ingredients and mix.
Finally add the milk.

Knead slightly and divide the dough into three parts. Cover them with cling film and put them in the fridge.

After this time, preheat the oven at 165ºC (330ºF).

Extend the dough, 0,5 cm (0,2 inches) of thickness, and cut.

Place the cookies on a baking sheet and bake them for 10 minutes.

When they’re ready let them rest for 5 minutes and put them in a rack to cool down.

Now you can decorate with royal icing but they are also perfect without it.