Best 6 Speculaas Dutch Spice Cookies Or Windmill Cookies Recipes

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Speculaas Dutch spice cookies, also known as windmill cookies, are a traditional Dutch treat that has been enjoyed for centuries. These delicious cookies are characterized by their unique blend of spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and cardamom, which give them a warm and aromatic flavor. Their distinctive shape, often featuring a windmill or other Dutch symbol, adds to their charm and makes them a popular choice for holiday baking or as a special treat anytime of the year. Whether you are looking for a traditional recipe that has been passed down through generations or a more modern twist on this classic cookie, this article will provide you with the inspiration and guidance you need to create the perfect speculaas cookies.

Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!

SPECULAAS (DUTCH WINDMILL COOKIES)



Speculaas (Dutch Windmill Cookies) image

My grandpa taught me how to make these authentic Dutch windmill cookies, using his wood cookie forms that have passed through the generations. Today, they can be made into any shape you like, using cookie cutters.

Provided by RyGuy

Categories     Dessert

Time 40m

Yield 24-36 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 cup butter or 1 cup margarine
2 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup finley chopped blanched almond, divided

Steps:

  • In a bowl, beat the butter 30 seconds or until softened.
  • Combine the remaining ingredients, except for the almonds, in a small bowl.
  • Add half of this mixture into the butter. Stir until mixed.
  • Add the remaining flour mixture and 1/3 cup almonds and stir until mixed.
  • Divide dough in half.
  • On lightly floured surface roll one portion ot the dough to 1/8" thickness.
  • Cut into desired shapes, place on greased cookie sheet and decorate with remaining almonds (if desired).
  • Repeat with second half of dough.
  • Bake at 350 degrees 8-10 minutes, or until browned.
  • Cool on cookie sheet one minute.
  • Remove and allow to cool.

SPECULAAS (DUTCH SPICE COOKIES OR WINDMILL COOKIES)



Speculaas (Dutch Spice Cookies or Windmill Cookies) image

Traditionally, these cookies are pressed into wooden windmill molds. But they're delicious in any shape!

Provided by Erin K. Brown

Categories     Dessert

Time 1h15m

Yield 60-80 cookies, 60-80 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups butter (room temp)
1 egg
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cardamom

Steps:

  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Add egg.
  • Add remaining ingredients and stir to form a stiff dough.
  • If making the cookies without a mold, roll the dough into cylinders that are the diameter of your desired cookies.*
  • Freeze for at least 20-30 minutes.
  • Slice the chilled dough into thin (~1/4 inch) rounds and place on a cookie sheet. Cookies will spread a little bit upon baking.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
  • *Also chill dough before pressing into molds or using cookie cutters.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 96.5, Fat 4.8, SaturatedFat 3, Cholesterol 15.7, Sodium 81.8, Carbohydrate 12.8, Fiber 0.2, Sugar 7.1, Protein 0.9

SPECULAAS COOKIES



Speculaas Cookies image

A delicious, traditional Dutch holiday cookie that tastes similar to gingerbread. Simple, quick, wonderful! As we Dutchies say, 'eet smakelijk!'

Provided by xcgrl604

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Dutch

Time 30m

Yield 24

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cups all-purpose flour

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Dust 2 baking sheets with flour.
  • Combine brown sugar and butter together in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, cinnamon, baking powder, cloves, and nutmeg. Mix in flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough comes together.
  • Shape dough into cookies by hand or using cookie cutters. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until firm but not hard, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 163 calories, Carbohydrate 21.1 g, Cholesterol 28.1 mg, Fat 8.1 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 2 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, Sodium 27.3 mg, Sugar 8.9 g

DUTCH SPECULAAS



Dutch Speculaas image

These Dutch spice cookies taste similar to the windmill cookies we enjoy in the United States. In Holland, it's tradition to mold the dough into the shape of St. Nicholas and serve the baked cookies on Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas Day). -Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Desserts

Time 50m

Yield about 2-1/2 dozen.

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon molasses
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely ground almonds
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, molasses and orange zest. Combine the flour, ground almonds, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, ginger and cardamom. Gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until easy to handle. , Preheat oven to 350°. On a parchment-lined surface, roll a small amount of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Use a floured cookie stamp to press design into dough, then cut with floured 3-in. cookie cutters, leaving 1 in. between cookies. Remove excess dough and reroll scraps, if desired., Transfer parchment with dough to cookie sheet. If dough has warmed, place baking sheet in refrigerator until it firms up, about 10-15 minutes. Bake at 350° until edges are lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 151 calories, Fat 7g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 30mg cholesterol, Sodium 65mg sodium, Carbohydrate 19g carbohydrate (8g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 2g protein.

SPECULAAS



Speculaas image

I believe another name for Windmill Cookies is Speculaas. The spices "speculaaskruiden" make this cookie so distinctive and were imported centuries ago from the far east.

Provided by ICECATS

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Belgian

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 10

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
½ cup sliced almonds

Steps:

  • In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour with spices, baking powder and salt.
  • In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and mix well.
  • Stir in by hand half the flour mixture, then add the remaining flour and almonds. Mix with a wooden spoon or knead with hands.
  • Divide dough into four parts, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for several hours. (If you are using a mold, chill it as well.)
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and grease two cookie sheets.
  • Remove one quarter of the dough from the refrigerator and flatten it with your hands. Oil your mold and lightly flour it. Using your fingers, press dough firmly into the mold. Trim any excess dough from the mold with a knife.
  • Transfer the cookies onto greased cookie sheets with a spatula, spacing about one inch apart.
  • Refrigerate dough trimming to be rerolled later. Lightly flour but do not re-oil cookie mold.
  • Repeat process with remaining dough. When cookie sheets are full, bake cookies for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Store in a covered tin.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 367.9 calories, Carbohydrate 47.6 g, Cholesterol 56.2 mg, Fat 18.1 g, Fiber 1.5 g, Protein 4.8 g, SaturatedFat 10.1 g, Sodium 151.6 mg, Sugar 22.5 g

SPECULAAS



Speculaas image

Here is a recipe for the St. Nicholas Day treat (also called speculoos or Dutch windmill cookies) enjoyed in Belgium and the Netherlands. They are traditionally molded into the shape of windmills, but these crisp, almond-y spice cookies will turn out well if you roll out the dough and cut out any shape you like. This version is an adaptation of one found in Anita Chu's book, "Field Guide to Cookies: How to Identify and Bake Virtually Every Cookie Imaginable."

Provided by Laura Anderson

Categories     brunch, dessert

Time 30m

Yield About 3 1/2 dozen cookies

Number Of Ingredients 14

1/2 cups blanched almonds, toasted
1½ cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg

Steps:

  • Using a food processor, finely grind the almonds with 2 tablespoons of the flour. Whisk together ground almonds with the rest of the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
  • In a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until combined.
  • With the mixer on low speed, add in the flour mixture and mix until just moistened and combined.
  • Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap well with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least three hours, but preferably overnight.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • Roll dough 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out cookies and place on sheets about 1 inch apart.
  • Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through, until firm and lightly golden around the edges. Cool sheets on wire racks for a couple minutes before transferring cookies directly onto wire racks with a spatula to finish cooling.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 64, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 8 grams, Fat 3 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 1 gram, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 32 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams, TransFat 0 grams

Tips:

  • Use good quality spices. Freshly ground spices will give your cookies the best flavor.
  • Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This will help the cookies to be chewy and tender.
  • Chill the dough before baking. This will help the cookies to hold their shape and not spread too much.
  • Bake the cookies at a low temperature. This will help them to cook evenly without burning.
  • Let the cookies cool completely before storing them. This will help them to keep their shape and flavor.

Conclusion:

Speculaas are a delicious and festive Dutch cookie that is perfect for any occasion. They are easy to make and can be customized with your favorite spices. Whether you enjoy them plain or decorated, these cookies are sure to be a hit with everyone who tries them.

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