Speculaas

Katie, I apologize if it's tiring how much I reference being Belgian. But, what can I do? I'm on pretty good terms with my Belgianness. I think this is mostly because I like my family, but you know what doesn't hurt? All the fantastic food I get to eat in Belgium. And, happily, some food can leave Belgium and end up in my very own kitchen, on a shelf, in a cardboard box labeled "Belgian Loot."

I am not very good at sharing things from this box but, sometimes, I am good at sharing my speculaas. (pronounced: spek-you-lahs) Speculaas is a fantastic, gingerbreadesque spice cookie that is always around, but especially around on December 6 because that is Saint Nicholas Day and kids get presents and there are big cookies shaped like Saint Nick. Saint Nick comes around with his sidekick, Black Peter (for reals), and maybe puts stuff in your shoes? Or are those the Three Kings on January 6? I'm not entirely clear on the details because I'm not that Belgian. Or Catholic. What I do know: those Saint Nick cookies get BIG. Like, one yard big. Maybe even bigger. No lie.

Here is my favorite brand of speculaas which, as you can see, can also be spelled speculoos. This brand, Lotus, also makes a spread that is speculaas-flavored. It is astonishingly good. If you go to Belgium, eat it. Bakeries also make their own versions of speculaas.

Anyway, enough with the cultural education. You're no dummy, you know it was December 6 just last week, and I bet you can guess what I did.

Speculaas
Based on Martha Stewart's recipe

3 c. white flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp white pepper
12 tbsp butter, at room temperature
1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. milk or water

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and all the spices. This will smell spectacular. Smell it!

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed, about 2 minutes.

On low speed, add 1/2 of the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture. Mix until combined, then add the milk/water. Mix until combined, add the rest of the dry ingredients.

Form the dough into 2 disks, wrap them in plastic, chill for a few hours, or overnight.

Put your oven to 350º and line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Get out your speculaas forms:

What? You don't have any? No problem. Just roll out the dough to 1/4" and use cookie cutters or a knife. Honestly, I was pretty excited about the forms because I hadn't used mine yet. I was unimpressed by my ability to get a good cookie out of them, especially with the slightly enormous Saint Nick form.

Bake 15-20 minutes.

I was kind of disappointed with this dough because it smelled so spicy when it was raw, yet tasted much less spicy when cooked. I'm also disappointed that they got so puffy during baking. You can hardly tell that those cookies are windmill and ship-shaped! I think it's the baking soda's fault.