Discover the secret spice: Speculaas cream elevates holiday treats
For Christmas, I'm on the hunt for something really special. I've been browsing articles and recipes for baked goods that draw on traditions from various parts of the world. Recently, my attention was caught by intricate cookies popular in the Netherlands and Belgium. It turns out you can make a delicious cream from them—perfect for layering a Christmas cake.
Caramel cream is popular and tasty but can become monotonous. If you're considering a sweet cream to layer on gingerbread, no-bake cakes, or for topping a cheesecake, try using cream made with speculaas cookies. You can prepare the sweet, gingerbread-scented mixture in a blender in just a few minutes.
The history of Dutch cookies
The spiced cookies with distinctive figurative patterns are known by two names. In the Netherlands, they are called speculaas, and in Belgium, spéculoos (from French). Their fronts depict figures of people and animals, often with numerous decorations and even genre scenes.
The history of these cookies is linked to the import of spices from India by the Dutch East India Company. Spiced delicacies were then considered luxury products—anise, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg were used in small amounts. The blends that confectioners created based on these spices were kept strictly secret.
In the 17th century, confectioners began adding spices to dough, and this is how sweet speculaas emerged. However, they weren't as widely available as today. They were baked only twice a year—on Sinterklaas Day, December 5th, the eve of St. Nicholas' name day, and at Christmas.
How to make speculaas cookie cream?
The proportions are as follows:
- 1 oz cane sugar,
- 0.5 cup warm milk,
- 2 oz soft butter,
- 7 oz speculaas cookies.
Preparation
- In a blender, grind the cane sugar into a fine powder. Add the crumbled cookies and blend again.
- Then pour in the warm milk and add the soft butter cut into chunks. Blend until smooth.
What can you use cookie cream for?
In some countries, for Christmas, an apple pie with speculaas cream is baked. A fluffy sponge cake is covered with a layer of cookie mass. Apples and whipped cream are added on top. The surface of the cake is decorated with Dutch cookies placed flat, side by side.
Speculaas cream also works well as an addition to pancakes, waffles, and French toast. You can add a bit to coffee or ice cream desserts.
You can make speculaas cookies at home
Spiced cookies in the Dutch style are easy to prepare. You'll make the dough from wheat flour, brown sugar, and spices. However, to create their intricate designs, you'll need wooden molds for speculaas. For an easier version, you can use a patterned rolling pin.
