Speculoos
| File:Spekulatius four pieces of.jpg | |
| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Netherlands, Belgium |
| Details | |
| Type | Shortbread cookie, Biscuit |
| Main ingredient(s) | Flour, sugar, butter, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg |
Speculaas (Dutch: Speculaas Dutch pronunciation: [speːkyˈlaːs], French: spéculoos, German: Spekulatius) is a type of spiced shortcrust biscuit, traditionally baked for consumption on or just before St Nicholas' feast in the Netherlands (December 5), Belgium (December 6),[1] and around Christmas in the western and southern parts of Germany. Speculoos are thin, very crunchy, caramelized, slightly browned and, most significantly, have some image or figure (often from the traditional stories about St. Nicholas) stamped on the front side before baking; the back is flat.
Speculaas dough does not rise much. Dutch and Belgian versions are baked with light brown (beet) sugar and baking powder. German Spekulatius uses baker's ammonia as leavening agent. Spices used in speculaas are cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cardamom and white pepper where more common traditionally due to the Dutch East Indies spice trade.[1] Traditionally, speculaas were made from Frisian flour and spices. The name speculoos was coined for Belgian wheat flour cookies with hardly any spices. Nowadays most Speculaas versions are made from white (wheat) flour, brown sugar, butter and spices. Some varieties use some almond flour and have slivered almonds embedded in the bottom. Belgian Speculoos varieties use less or no spice.
To make the dough, butter, sugar and spices are combined. The flour and leavening agent are mixed separately and then added. Bakers carefully ensure the dough doesn't heat too quickly. The dough is stored in a cool place overnight to give the spices time to permeate the dough and add extra flavor.
Name
There are several interpretations for the origins of the name Speculaas. It may derive from Latin speculum, which means mirror, and refer to the fact that the images are cut as a mirrored bas-relief into a wooden stamp which is then used to decorate the Speculaas. Another explanation of the name refers to the Latin word speculator which, among other meanings, could also refer to a bishop or St Nicholas' epithet "he who sees everything". Specerij, the Dutch word for spice, is another possible origin.
Local varieties
The Belgian city of Hasselt is known for a local variety of speculoos. On January 13, 1870 Antonie Deplée, a baker from Hasselt, acquired a license for Hasselt speculoos: "une espèce de pain d'amandes connu sous le nom de spéculation" (A kind of almond "bread" known under the name spéculation.) He sold this version locally and abroad.
The German Spekulatius, traditional in Westphalia and the Rhineland, is of the same origin and is very similar. It is popular throughout the country around Christmas and usually not available at other times of the year.
Spread or paste variant
By 2007, several Belgian companies began marketing a paste variant of speculoos, now available worldwide under various brands and names: as Speculla, Cookie Butter, Biscoff Spread. As a form of spreadable Speculoos cookies, the flavor is caramelized and gingerbread-like with a color similar to peanut butter[2] and a consistency ranging from creamy to granular or crunchy. The spread consists of 60% crushed speculoos cookies along with vegetable oils.[2][3]
In the low countries workers have traditionally made a sandwich in the morning with butter and speculaas or speculoos cookies would develop a spread-like consistency by lunchtime.[not in citation given][3] In 2008, two competitors entered a contest on the Belgian television show, The Inventors (de Bedenkers), with a spread made from speculoos cookies[3][4] — Els Scheppers, who reached the semi finals, and the team of chef Danny De Mayer and Dirk De Smet, who weren't selected as finalists. Spreads made from crushed Speculoos cookies would subsequently go into production by three separate companies became popular.
See also
- Springerle, a thicker, anise-flavoured, moulded Christmas cookie from Germany
- Ginger biscuits
- Cookie butter
