Dutch Christmas Biscuits

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Christmas, North American

Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 15

Cooling Time: 2

Total Time: 3

Servings: cookies

Calories: 221kcal

Author: Lord Byron's Kitchen

Dutch Christmas Biscuits, more commonly known as Speculaas, are stamped cookies with a very thin sugary glaze. These particular cookies have lots of deep spice flavour and the smell is just heaven! Speculaas surely look impressive, but you won't believe how easy they are to make!

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Ingredients

For the Cookies:

7 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
6 tablespoons black treacle (can use molasses instead)
1 large egg yolk
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For the Glaze:

2 cups confectioner's sugar
6-8 teaspoons water

Instructions

Using a hand-held mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, black treacle, and the egg yolk. Beat until smooth - about 3 minutes. Set aside.
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg, cardamom, and baking soda.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined. Knead the dough until all of the loose bits at the bottom of the bowl have been kneaded in.
Place ball of dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and press into a large, flat circle. Cover with more plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Remove the plastic wrap and roll the dough to 1/4 inch thick between two sheets of parchment paper. Stamp the dough firmly to make a nice indent. Use a round cookie cutter to cut around the stamped shape. Transfer cookie to prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Once completely cooled, whisk together the confectioner's sugar and the water until smooth.
Use a teaspoon to poor the glaze onto the center of a cookie. Spread the glaze out to the edges and allow the excess to drip over the side. Do this to one cookie at a time!
Allow glaze to set and harden. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition