Spekulatius
Thin, crisp, spiced Christmas biscuits pressed in moulds or cut by hand, with cinnamon, cloves and brown sugar, chilled for 1 hour.
Photograph credit: Spekulatius four pieces of (image of speculaas biscuit on Wikidata Q6591) by Zerohund · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
How to Cook Spekulatius
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Mix the flour, sugar, spices, baking powder and salt. Rub in the butter and mix in the milk to a dough.
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Wrap and chill for 1 hour until firm.
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Heat the oven to 180°C / 355°F and line two trays. Roll the dough 3 mm thick and cut into shapes, or press into moulds.
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Bake for 15 minutes until the edges are deep gold.
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Cool on a rack.
What Can Go Wrong
- Chill the dough until firm.
- Dust the mould with flour so the dough releases.
- Cool on a rack so the biscuits crisp.
The Short Version
Compare these to gingerbread and you will find them thinner, crisper and more buttery. Spekulatius are German Christmas biscuits flavoured with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger, and they are traditionally pressed into carved moulds that leave a pattern on the top.
The dough is mixed from butter, brown sugar, flour, spices and a little milk or egg, and then it must rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Chill it until it is firm, because a warm dough sticks in the mould and spreads in the oven. If you have no mould, roll it 3 mm thick and cut shapes with a cutter.
Bake at 180°C / 355°F for about 15 minutes until the edges are deep gold, and cool them on a rack, where they crisp. The mix of spices is warm rather than hot, and some bakers add cardamom or white pepper. The biscuits keep for weeks in a tin and improve over a few days, as the spice mellows. Serve with coffee, or tea.
On the Table Alongside
Coffee · Mulled wine · Hot chocolate
Storing Leftovers
Keeps for 4 weeks in a tin.
Common Questions
How long does Spekulatius take to make?
30 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour of Chilling, so allow 1 hour 45 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 40.
Nutrition per Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.
First published ; last changed .
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