Spices are for the holidays. It's the time of year when we crave bold flavors and anything warm. These speculoos fit the bill perfectly. They're crunchy and have a blend of spices that will make you want just one more. I'm usually a soft, chewy cookie kind of girl, but I wouldn't want these little gems any other way than what they are: crisp and crunchy,while still having a melt-in-your-mouth quality that is seriously addictive.
I tend to steer away from cookie dough that is very high-maintenance. If I come across a recipe that directs me to roll anything out between sheets of paper and work quickly, I'll just turn the page. But this dough was actually easy to handle. It will get soft at room temperature, but just throw it back in the refrigerator for five minutes and then carry on. No big deal. I've always used a pastry cloth and rolling pin with a pastry cover to roll out cookies, but they require flour to keep the dough from sticking. This way, no extra flour gets worked into the dough, so the cookies all stay equally tender.
A filling of some kind would be perfect with these. I was going to try to find some dulce de leche, but it's not as readily available as I thought it would be. I'm not averse to making my own, but that's a three hour commitment that I just didn't have the time for this week. It would be incredible, though. My husband thought a creamy white center would be a good addition, too. I'm thinking this one in particular would be divine. They would be a little like gingerbread cookies, but you would be able to taste more of the spices without the molasses to compete against. Just cinnamon, ginger and cloves. It sounds (and tastes) like Christmas.
If you're curious about what other delicious recipes are cooking over at French Fridays with Dorie, click here to check them out. There's beef stew, sweet and spicy nuts, potato and leek soup, glazed carrots and of course, spice cookies with a funny name. Lots of inspiration for comfort food and it's all from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan.
Didn't you just love the flavor of these? I want that cat cookie cutter! :) And your dishes are lovely.
ReplyDeleteI love your cat cookie cutter...so adorable! I can smell your cookies from here!
ReplyDeleteI did not make the cookies yet, but I will, next week. I usually make the gingerbread people, but this year I'll try these, just for comparison.
ReplyDeleteI hope that mine turn as good as yours - I want nice shapes with clear-cut edges, not blobs. But, we'll see:)
My kids would love me even more if I had the cat cookie cutter:)
great shapes, i love unfrosted cookies... something very inviting about them.
ReplyDeletehappy new year!