Speculoos, as I learned today, are actually Belgian spiced shortbread cookies. For those of us who fly Delta, think Biscoff cookies. Yeah. Delicious. This is the recipe I found online:
Ingredients:
2c AP flour
2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. ginger
1/4 t. allspice
1/4 t. cloves
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. baking powder
1 c. butter, soft
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
(it called for additional sugar to sprinkle on top, but I omitted that)
Instructions:
You combine everything before the butter in one bowl, then everything else in another, then add the two together. Roll out the dough and cut with cookie cutters or press it into a cookie sheet. Bake at 350: shapes bake for 12-15 min, a sheet for 20-25 min. Cool on a cooling rack and serve!
Because we don't fly often, I thought I'd try to make the cookies from scratch as a treat. My husband had a hop flight to Raleigh, NC from Atlanta for a conference. He remembered how much we enjoyed the Biscoff cookies we shared from our flights to and from Honduras last summer. So he brought me his pack of cookies and we shared them over cups of tea while listening to a sermon we had missed from church. <3 (Yes, I've been dubbed a "theological flirt" and it fits.) He said that he thought about eating them, but knew he'd enjoy sharing them with me more than eating both himself. So thoughtful!
Ok, before you all get sick from our sappiness...the verdict on these cookies?
They're make-you-drool delicious. Would I say they taste "just like" a Biscoff? Hmm, pretty close. They taste like the wholesome, not mass-produced version, which in some ways is actually BETTER than the processed variety. They're true-buttery, flavorful, and crisp. I'd definitely make them again, especially around Christmas.
Here's the original link to the blog where I got the recipe. http://matzoandrice.wordpress.com/2010/02/06/speculoos-belgian-spice-cookies/
