Crisp, richly spiced Dutch Speculaas cookies are the perfect addition to this year’s holiday baking festivities! They’re easy to make, keep well for weeks, and taste like Christmas.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a small baking tray with a piece of parchment paper. Spread the almond flour out onto the paper. Bake until it’s a light golden color and smells toasted, about 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Add the toasted almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, white pepper, and cardamom to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
Add the butter, sugar, molasses, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla to a large bowl. Use a handheld electric mixer to beat the mixture together.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and beat to combine.
Chill the Dough:
Divide the dough into 2 portions, roll each into a ball, and slightly flatten each ball into a disk. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 4 hours (or up to 3 days).
Roll Out the Dough and Stamp Out the Cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 2 large baking trays with parchment paper or silpat liners.
Lay a piece of parchment paper out onto a flat work surface. Flour the piece of paper, place a disk of chilled dough on top, and flour the top of the disk of dough. Place a 2nd piece of parchment paper on top of the dough. Roll the dough out until it’s about ⅛-inch thick (about 3 to 4 millimeters).
Stamp or cut out cookies. Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking trays (about 20 cookies per tray). Transfer the cookie trays to the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
Bake the Cookies:
Bake until the cookies are set and are an even golden (not dark brown) color, about 14 to 16 minutes, rotating the trays once halfway through.
Let them cool completely on the trays before removing. The cookies will crisp as they cool.
Video
Notes
Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes about 40 cookies if you use a round cookie cutter about 6 centimeter (2.36 inches) in diameter to stamp them out. The nutrition information given is for 1 cookie.
Storage: These cookies will stay fresh for up to 3 weeks stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
If You Want Almonds on Top: Once the unbaked cookies are arranged on the trays, before you refrigerate them, gently press 3 almond slices into the top of each cookie.
If You Want to Glaze the Cookies: Skip the sliced almonds on top. Once the cookies are completely cooled, mix together ½ cup powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons of water in a shallow bowl. Dip the top of each cookie in the glaze, let the excess run off, and place the glazed cookies on a wire rack. Let the glaze set before serving.