Speculoos Cookies

A spicy and crunchy cookie that you can't resist! With a glass of cold milk is just perfect, as most of the cookies, but still there is something special about speculoos. These thin biscuits are made of brown sugar, butter, flour and that glorious spice mixture containing: cinnamon, clove, ginger, white pepper, cardamom, nutmeg. If you want it to be really heavy add some anise and coriander seeds as well, like it is common in the Netherlands and Germany. The Belgian version is a lot less spicy, sometimes even no spices at all. There is also a version with almond flour and thinly sliced almonds. Once the cookies start baking your whole house is going to smell like a gingerbread house!

Ingredients:
for the spice mixture:
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon white peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon anise
1/2 teaspoon coriander
for the speculoos:
(based on a recipe by Alain Ducasse)
140 g butter, room temperature
250 g brown sugar250 g flour
2 g baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon spice mixture
1-2 tablespoons water

To make the spice mixture ground coriander, anise seeds and white pepper. Once done blend it with the rest of the spices. For the pastry whisk butter with brown sugar until fluffy, then add the rest of the ingredients and knead a dough. Chill for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll out pastry about 2 mm thick and cut it with any type of cookie cutter. Bake for about 10 minutes and store in an air-thight container.