Ingredients

Spekulatius Dough
125 butter, softened
125g sugar
1 egg
zest of 1 lemon, preferably organic
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
50g ground almonds
2-3 drops bitter almond extract
pinch of salt
250g all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Topping
1 egg yolk
50g almond slices
50g almond praline 

Method

1. Put all of the spekulatius dough ingredients into a bowl and with your hands knead into a smooth dough.
   
   
2. Divide the dough into two pieces, form into balls then cover with some plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
   
   
3. Preheat the oven to 210 degrees C.
   
   
4. Take out one of the dough balls and place between two piece of plastic wrap. With a rolling pin roll the dough out into a thin rectangle.
   
   
5. Using cookie cutters, cut out the spukulatius and place on a baking tray lined with some baking paper.
   
   
6. For the topping lightly beat the egg yolk with about 1 tablespoon water. Brush the cookies with the egg wash and sprinkle either the sliced almonds or the oink praline, gently pressing them into the dough.
   
   
7. Bake in the oven for approx. 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool. 

 Food Guide Tips:

You’ll find everything you need to know about the ingredients below in my food guide section:

- Almonds
- Cloves
- Cardamom
- Ginger
- Cinnamon