Dutch Speculaas (Spiced Windmill Cookies)

About This Recipe

Dutch Speculaas is a real, traditional Dutch dish, known as Spiced Windmill Cookies. Crisp, deeply spiced brown sugar cookies stamped with traditional windmill or figure shapes, a Sinterklaas holiday classic.\n\nSpeculaas dates back centuries in Dutch baking, historically tied to Sinterklaas celebrations on December 5th, with the intricate carved wooden molds used to stamp the dough reflecting a longstanding craft tradition.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Dutch home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 24

• 300 gall-purpose flour
• 150 gdark brown sugar
• 150 gbutter(cold, cubed)
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 0.5 tspground nutmeg
• 0.5 tspground cloves
• 0.25 tspground cardamom
• 0.25 tspground white pepper
• 0.5 tspbaking powder
• 0.5 tspfine sea salt
• 1 tbspwhole milk
• 50 gsliced almonds(optional, for topping)

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine dry ingredients

   Whisk together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, white pepper, baking powder and salt.

2. 2

   Cut in the butter

   Work the cold butter into the dry mixture using your fingers or a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs.

3. 3

   Bring together

   Add the milk and mix until the dough just comes together; wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

4. 4

   Shape

   Press the chilled dough into traditional speculaas molds, or roll it out and cut into simple shapes with a cookie cutter.

5. 5

   Bake

   Place shaped cookies on a lined baking tray, press a few almond slices onto the surface if using, and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 12 to 15 minutes until firm and lightly darkened at the edges.

6. 6

   Cool

   Let the cookies cool completely on the tray, where they crisp up fully as they cool.

Variations

• •

  A version studded with chopped almonds throughout the dough, called speculaas met amandelen, is a classic variation.

• •

  Some modern bakers add a bit of orange zest for brightness.

• •

  Simple round or windmill-shaped cutters work well if a traditional carved mold isn't available.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions