Speculoos are the iconic Belgian spiced shortbread biscuits — buttery, crispy and fragrant with cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Homemade speculoos are infinitely better than shop-bought, and they fill the house with the most wonderful warming scent as they bake. Perfect with a mug of coffee or chai latte!
Ingredients (makes about 40 biscuits)
- 250 g plain flour
- 125 g soft butter
- 150 g soft brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp milk
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch of ground cardamom
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
- Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg and milk.
- Sift together the flour, spices, baking powder and salt. Fold into the butter mixture until you have a smooth dough.
- Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Line baking trays with parchment.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to about 3–4 mm thickness. Cut into rectangles or shapes.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes until golden brown and firm.
- Leave to cool completely on a rack — they crisp up further as they cool.
Smakelijk! 🇧🇪🍪 (Bon appétit in Dutch/Flemish!)