Dutch Spiced Cookies ( Speculaas )

Also known as a windmill cookies when you browse the cookie aisle at the store . Speculaas was my mom all time favorite cookie , we always bought this speculaas at the store , prepackaged , and she always said that this was her favorite . Years later , i found the recipe on a cookbook , and i was so thrill , and i wish that my mom were still alive , that she would been so happy that we could have baked these cookies together !!

I don’t really sure why they call it windmill cookies , probably because it’s from the Netherlands , and they’re famous with their windmill . But my cookies aren’t going to be in a windmill shape , because i don’t own any windmill cutter . From so many cookie cutter that i have from trains , bunnies , to bats and ghosts and palm trees , amazingly , i do not have windmill cutter !! So , i settle with just cutting them with my gingerbread cutter . People will think it’s gingerbread cookies, but they’re not . The recipe doesn’t make that many cookies , i always doubled this recipe just because i love them so much and i want to make sure i have enough and , hey , it’s a lot of work , making cutout cookies like this .. so if you have to , you might as well do it where you have plenty cookies to share !

Direction : 

1/2 cup of butter , unsalted room temperature

3/4 cup of brown sugar , packed

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cloves

pinch of salt

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp. milk

1 1/3 cup of all purpose flour

1. In a large mixing bowl , cream the butter for a minute , then add brown sugar , beat until it’s combined about a minute with high speed . And then add all the spices , the egg and the milk . Add the flour at the end , mix well . Chill the dough in the fridge for couple hours so it will be easy to handle .

2. Once the dough is chilled , lightly flour the surface you’re going to work on , and including your hands and rolling pin . Roll the dough out , cut it with your cookie cutter , transfer carefully into the parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 F for about 12 minutes or until it’s done .