Speculaas (spiced biscuits)
This recipe is a great example of how other cultures use spices. Speculaas are an intensely spiced biscuit from the Netherlands. Traditionally moulds are used to imprint a pattern on the biscuits but I find a fork print works well to make this more chunky, rustic version.
Ingredients
200g unsalted butter, softened
375g dark brown sugar
75g ground almonds
100ml cold water
100g rye flour
400g plain flour
4 tsp ground mixed spice
4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Method
Beat the butter and sugar until smooth then stir in the almonds, water and rye flour.
Add the plain flour, spices, salt and bicarb soda, mix to a smooth, pliable dough then roll into a log, about 30 centimetres long. Chill for 30 minutes.
Cut the log into three 10-centimetre lengths and roll out each length into a large rectangle one centimetre thick. Cut into three by two-inch rectangles (each large rectangle should make about 12 biscuits) and put on baking trays lined with non-stick paper.
Use a fork to make grooves on two sides of the biscuit.
Bake at 160C for about 15 minutes, or until just starting to colour at the edges.
Correction: The original version of this recipe listed the incorrect dimensions for the rectangles. This has been fixed.
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