1. Recipes

How to Make Windmill Cookies (Speculaas) - A Step-by-Step Guide

Windmill cookies, also known as Speculaas in Dutch, are a traditional spiced cookie that's popular in the Netherlands. These cookies are thin, crispy, and bursting with warm, aromatic spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. The cookies are often imprinted with intricate designs, such as windmills, which gives them their distinctive appearance. Their delicious flavor and charming appearance make them a beloved treat for the holiday season, but they can be enjoyed all year round.

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Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup sliced almonds

Information

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Additional Time: 8 hrs
  • Total Time: 8 hrs 35 mins
  • Servings: 12
  • Yield: 2 dozen

  • In a medium bowl, mix flour with spices, baking powder, and salt.
  • In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and mix well.
  • Stir in, by hand half, flour mixture. Add the remaining flour and almonds. Mix with a wooden spoon or knead with hands.
  • Divide dough into four parts, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for several hours to overnight. (If you are using a mold, chill it as well.)
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and grease two cookie sheets.
  • Remove one quarter of dough from the refrigerator and flatten it with your hands. Oil your mold and lightly flour it. Using your fingers, press dough firmly into the mold. Trim any excess dough from the mold with a knife.
  • Transfer cookies onto greased cookie sheets with a spatula, spacing about one inch apart.
  • Refrigerate dough trimming to be rerolled later. Lightly flour but do not re-oil cookie mold.
  • Repeat process with remaining dough. When cookie sheets are full, bake cookies for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Store in a covered tin.

    • Nutrition

    368 cal.

    • Total Fat: 18g
    • Saturated Fat: 10g
    • Cholesterol: 56mg
    • Sodium: 152mg
    • Total Carbohydrate: 48g
    • Dietary Fiber: 2g
    • Total Sugars: 23g
    • Protein: 5g
    • Vitamin C: 0mg
    • Calcium: 48mg
    • Iron: 2mg
    • Potassium: 103mg

    Categories

    Dessert recipes
    Cookie recipes
    Baking recipes
    Dutch recipes
    Spices recipes