SPEKULATIUS
About twenty-eight 2 × 4-inch cookies
Spekulatius are rich cookies of German origin, with Christmas symbols pressed into them by special carved wooden molds.
Pulse in a food processor or whisk together in a medium bowl:
- 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup packed (115g) brown sugar
- ¼ cup (25g) almond meal or flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves or cardamom
Add and pulse or work into the flour with your fingers until the butter is in tiny pieces:
- 6 tablespoons (¾ stick or 85g) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Add and pulse just until a crumbly dough forms:
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons (30g) heavy cream
Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Roll the dough ⅛ inch thick between two pieces of parchment paper. Remove the top piece of parchment paper and stamp the dough with 2 × 4-inch floured molds or cut the dough into 2-inch squares or 2 × 4-inch rectangles if you do not have molds. If the dough becomes too sticky, freeze briefly until stiff. Slide the parchment with the cut-out cookies onto a baking sheet or cookie sheet. Separate the cookies slightly, leaving about ½ inch between them. Brush the cookies lightly with:
- 1 egg white, beaten
If making cookies that are not stamped, sprinkle with:
- (½ cup sliced almonds)
Bake until the cookies are dry and lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through. Let cool on the sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.