Speculaas cookies are a vacation staple hailing from the Netherlands and Belgium. It’s custom that on the eve of St. Nicholas Day, youngsters place their footwear subsequent to the chimney earlier than going to mattress, very like a stocking held on the mantel on Christmas Eve. The following morning, the youngsters are rewarded by receiving speculaas cookies of their footwear.
Pressed Speculaas
Makes about 14 cookies
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (110 grams) firmly packed darkish brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (21 grams) unsulphured molasses
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups (219 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (107 grams) tremendous graham cracker crumbs
- 1½ teaspoons (3 grams) floor cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon (3.75 grams) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
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Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and brown sugar at medium pace till creamy, 2 to three minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Beat in molasses and vanilla.
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In a medium bowl, whisk collectively flour, graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low pace, regularly add flour combination to butter combination, beating till mixed.
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End up dough, and form right into a disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for no less than half-hour.
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Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Divide dough into 12 parts (about 60 grams every). Roll every portion right into a ball, barely flatten, and flippantly mud with flour. Utilizing a well-floured cookie press, press every ball till edges of dough barely exceed diameter of press. Gently pull dough off press. (See Be aware). Utilizing a 2/-inch spherical fluted cutter dipped in flour, reduce pressed dough with out twisting cutter. Place 2 inches aside on ready pans. Utilizing a pastry brush, gently brush off extra flour from cookies. Repeat rolling, urgent, and reducing dough scraps to make use of all dough.
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Bake till backside edges are very flippantly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool fully on pans on wire racks. Retailer in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days.
In case your metallic cookie press will not be releasing properly, use a fast burst from a handheld kitchen torch to heat it up. The warmth will heat the butter within the dough sufficient to launch whereas nonetheless holding the right design.
