Speculaas
(Speculoos, Spekulatius)
Speculaas are spiced cookies mainly made in Belgium and the Netherlands, although they are also popular in Germany (Rhineland and Westphalia), Luxembourg and northern France. With an intense fragrance of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger, the cookies are traditionally baked on the eve of St Nicholas Day, celebrated on December 5 and December 6.
Before going to bed, the children put their shoes by the chimney, and if they behaved well, they are rewarded with speculaas in their shoes. There are a few theories on the origin of its name - one says it derives from the Latin word speculum, meaning a mirror, referring to the mirrored images that the cookies are decorated with.
Another popular theory claims the origin of speculaas stems from specerij, the Dutch word for spice. The third theory suggests that it derives from the Latin speculator, referring to a bishop, such as St Nicholas. Read more
And how about the issue of speculaas vs. speculoos? Apparently, speculoos is just the Belgian word for these cookies, but without any (or most of) the once-expensive spices, as loos means without in Dutch. Also, the word speculaas doesn't exist in French, so they're always called speculoos in France.
Today, the cookies are not reserved only for the St Nicholas Day or for Christmas, but are available the whole year round, ideally paired with a cup of hot tea or coffee.
Recipe variations
Homemade Speculaas
READY IN 3h 35minThe following recipe shows a traditional preparation method of speculaas. Although the specialized speculaas spice mixture is widely available in supermarkets across the Netherlands, this recipe also gives instructions on how to make your own, which can be prepared in advance and should be kept in a cool, dark place.
Broken Speculaas
READY IN 2h 25minBesides being neatly shaped and decorated, speculaas cookies also have an alternative version, which suggests baking the dough in one piece and breaking it into irregular portions by hand. The following recipe also says to press blanched almonds into the cookies before baking.
Speculaas with Almond Filling (Gevulde Speculaas)
READY IN 13h 30minThe speculaas dough can easily be used for the preparation of a delicious, almond-filled cake called gevulde speculaas, as described in this recipe, adapted from coquinaria.nl, a cooking website run by the food historian Christianne Muusers. For the filling, you can use store-bought almond paste or prepare your own with almond flour, sugar, and eggs. Remember that the dough and the almond paste need to be prepared one day in advance. The final result should be soft and very richly stuffed cakes.
Speculaas Authentic recipe
The following recipe shows a traditional preparation method of speculaas. Although the specialized speculaas spice mixture is widely available in supermarkets across the Netherlands, this recipe also gives instructions on how to make your own, which can be prepared in advance and should be kept in a cool, dark place.
WHERE TO EAT The best Speculaas in the world (according to food experts)
