Dutch Speculaas Cookies

As a Dutch colony, New York homes had the potential of smelling fantastic during the winter holiday season. Since many of the spices used in Speculaas were quite expensive at the time, families might only be able to make small batches of this tasty treat, especially in areas far from commercial ports and easily accessible cities, such as New York City and Albany. During the American Revolution, a treat such as this may have been enjoyed by the officers as they entertained throughout the winter encampment season.

A traditional wooden Speculaas mold (speculaaspplank) is in the form of Sinterklaas, or St. Nicholas. The cookies are left by Dutch children as a special treat for Sinterklaas when he visits on St. Nicholas Day Eve.

What you'll need:

• 1 ½ c. brown sugar

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 1 egg

• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon ground cloves

• ½ teaspoon nutmeg

• 3 cups flour
  
  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F/175 degrees C. Dust 2 baking sheets with flour. Combine brown sugar and butter, beat with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, cinnamon, baking powder, cloves, and nutmeg. Add flour one cup at a time until a nice stiff dough is formed. (We added a bit extra, so it held the details of the mold while it was baking.) Shape cookies with a mold or cutter, or roll into balls and flatten. Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cookies. They should be firm, but not hard.

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