peculaas are a
traditional biscuit (cookie) that are enjoyed on the Feast of St. Nicholas (also known
as Sinterklaas). For those unfamiliar with this celebration, it takes
place on December 6th to commemorate the death of St. Nicholas of Myra.
Now, St. Nicholas was a man of great generosity especially to those less fortunate and his love of
children is reflected in the tradition of Dutch children putting out their clogs
(shoes) on the eve of December 5th so St. Nicholas can fill them with candy and
presents.
This recipe comes from a
wonderful book called 'Windmills in my Oven' by Gaitri Pagrach-Chandra in which
she explains both the history and the making of Speculaas. We are told in
this book that it is unclear whether the name 'Speculaas' comes from 'speculum'
or 'speculator'. As the author tells us there is merit for both; as
'speculum' "means mirror and the biscuit you get from the mould is the mirror
image of the mould itself." and that 'speculator' means "'he who sees all', in
this case St. Nicholas of Myra". Either way, Speculaas have been made for
centuries and at one time both the mould itself and the biscuit were
painstakingly made by hand. Today the thin and crispy windmill or St.
Nicholas shaped biscuits we buy are, more often than not, commercially produced.
There are two
types of Speculaas, the thin and crispy ones that we buy and the more cakelike Speculaas that I
have given a recipe for here. The flavor is still wonderfully spicy
but with a softer texture. This recipe calls for almond flour or
meal. Almond meal (flour) is blanched almonds that are finely ground and
can be found at health food stores and many large grocery stores. If you
cannot find it you can make your own by taking about 1/2 cup of blanched almonds
(along with the flour in the recipe) and processing these two ingredients in
your food processor until finely ground. Just make sure not to over
process this mixture as it needs to be finely ground, not a paste. You
can, however, just use 2 cups (280 grams) of all purpose flour.
Speculaas: In a separate bowl, whisk
together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer
(or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg and lemon zest until well combined. Add the flour mixture
and beat until combined. Flatten the dough into a round, wrap it in
plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight.
Preheat the
oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place the rack in the middle of the
oven. Line two baking sheets
with parchment paper.
Remove the chilled
dough from the refrigerator and form into 1 inch (2.54 cm) balls. Place
the balls of dough on the prepared cookie sheet, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm)
apart. Then, using the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar, flatten each
ball of dough to 1/4 inch thick (can also use a cookie stamp). Sprinkle
each cookie with the shaved almonds. Bake for about 10 - 12 minutes, or
until lightly browned around the edges. Remove from oven and transfer to a
wire rack to cool completely.
Makes about 3 1/2
dozen cookies.
Source:
Pagrach-Chandra,
Gaitri. 'Windmills In My Oven'. Prospect Books. Great Britain. 2002.
All content on this site is
either original or has been significantly modified and changed from its
credited original source. Use of materials on Joyofbaking.com is
entirely at the risk of the user and Joyofbaking.com or Stephanie Jaworski
will not be responsible for any damages directly or indirectly resulting
from the use.
This
website and the contents thereof are not endorsed or sponsored by the owner
of the "Joy of Cooking" series of books or its publisher Simon & Schuster,
Inc.
Content in any form may
not be copied or used without written permission of Stephanie Jaworski,
Joyofbaking.com. Students and non profit educators may use content without
permission with proper credit.
Page loading ... Please wait.
peculaas are a
traditional biscuit (cookie) that are enjoyed on the Feast of St. Nicholas (also known
as Sinterklaas). For those unfamiliar with this celebration, it takes
place on December 6th to commemorate the death of St. Nicholas of Myra.
Now, St. Nicholas was a man of great generosity especially to those less fortunate and his love of
children is reflected in the tradition of Dutch children putting out their clogs
(shoes) on the eve of December 5th so St. Nicholas can fill them with candy and
presents. 
