Speculoos Cookies with Cinnamon Sugar Recipe
Speculoos cookies are traditional spiced shortcrust biscuits with a rich blend of warm spices and a tender, buttery texture. These crunchy yet delicate cookies offer a perfect balance of sweetness and spice, making them an ideal treat to enjoy with coffee or tea. The dough is carefully creamed and chilled to develop the flavors before being shaped, stamped, and baked to golden perfection.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 31 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Belgian
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- Cinnamon sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugars: In a stand mixer, beat the butter with white and brown sugars for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is light lemon yellow and fluffy, ensuring a smooth, well-incorporated base for the cookie dough.
- Add egg and vanilla: Mix in the egg and vanilla extract thoroughly to combine the wet ingredients evenly.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, and flour. Gradually add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until flour is incorporated without overmixing to maintain a tender texture.
- Refrigerate dough: Cover the dough and chill it in the refrigerator for at least one hour to firm up, which helps in easier shaping and better flavor development.
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking.
- Shape the dough: Roll the chilled dough into 1-inch balls and place them on a floured surface. Use a cookie stamp to flatten each ball to about 1/4 inch thickness, keeping the stamp well-floured to prevent sticking. Alternatively, you may use a springerle rolling pin or cookie cutters for shaping.
- Arrange on baking sheet: Transfer the stamped or cut cookies carefully with a knife onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to prevent sticking during baking.
- Add cinnamon sugar: Lightly sprinkle the tops of the cookies with cinnamon sugar for added flavor and a subtle crunch.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 11 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned, indicating the cookies are perfectly crisp and cooked through.
Notes
- Make sure to cream the butter and sugars thoroughly for the right texture.
- Do not overmix the dough once the flour is added to avoid tough cookies.
- Chilling the dough is essential for easier handling and enhanced flavor.
- If you do not have a cookie stamp, a springerle rolling pin or cookie cutters work well for shaping.
- Keep the cookie stamp or rolling pin well-floured to prevent sticking.
- Watch the cookies closely during baking to prevent over-browning.
Keywords: Speculoos, spiced cookies, Belgian biscuits, cinnamon cookies, holiday cookies, buttery cookies, traditional cookies
