Speculoos
Two years ago, having just moved back to Aspen, I was invited to join good friends at a local restaurant for dinner. Our paths hadn’t often crossed for the previous eight years so this was a celebration. What I recall most about that glorious evening – there was much to remember – is the small white bakery box sitting on my plate when I arrived. It was nondescript except for an elaborate bow that enclosed it.
Oven-Ready.
After slipping off the ribbon, I discovered two individually wrapped, exquisite-looking chocolate chip cookies meriting an immediate Wow!, Mmmm, from a nearby table. A perfect Welcome Home gift. No one reading this Post fails to recognize the thought, time and effort that went into those cookies. Since 1965 the Pillsbury Doughboy (initiate stomach poke) has said it best, “Nothin’ says lovin’ like something from the oven.”
My Speculoos are ready to share at a potluck dinner.
Although many of my friends often gift me with splendid homemade goodies, I’ve never reciprocated. Time to step up my game. Both of my French Fridays with Dorie recipes this week, Speculoos or Cheez-it-ish Crackers, are the perfect hostess thank-you, table favor, get-well-soon token or just because. These are easily made, delicious, and do-aheads that can park themselves in the freezer until needed.
It’s Springtime in the Rockies and time for babies. Mama Canada Goose is taking loving care of her 7 little goslings at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies.
Wait, there’s more. For me, packaging homemade food and bakery items is a frustrating task. Yes, there are excellent books, good magazine articles and Pinterest Boards devoted to this subject. Let’s get real. At 5:30pm, when you still need to shower, dress and feed the dog before a 7pm dinner invitation, who remembers that clipping about a perfect receptacle for the cookies you’ve just baked. Nothing to do but grab a paper plate and Saran Wrap. Yuck. Readers, I’ve solved that problem also. You can thank me later.
The Cheez-it-ish Crackers are ready to bake in the oven.
First, the baked goods. In Belgium Speculoos say Christmas and are made in celebration of Saint Nicholas’ name day. Here, where these crisp brown-sugar delicacies have recently become quite popular, any month is fair game. Make them big or small (I chose a 2” round cutter.), thick or thin and spicey, spicier or spiciest. This is an elegant cookie, perfect with coffee, tea or espresso. A snack, with milk. Dessert, with ice cream or sorbet. The recipe is below.
Cheez-it-ish Crackers. It’s not possible to eat just one.
Cheez-it-ish Crackers are the perfect nibble with before dinner drinks. I don’t often serve hors-d’oeuvres. To me, Dorie’s Herbed Olives, Sweet and Spicy Cocktail Nuts and these Crackers are just the right touch with wine, champagne or mixed drinks. Made in a food processor, these are slice-and-bake, finger food. I used a 1 1/2” cutter. This recipe is also below.
Now here are two packaging ideas that, hopefully, will carry me, maybe, you, through the summer. This spring I’ve stopped by the many thrift shops in our Valley searching for tin containers or boxes imprinted with company names and logos. These are plentiful, colorful, inexpensive and always well-made. After washing them thoroughly and lining them with decorative waxed paper, they are the perfect containers for cookies, cupcakes, muffins, scones and bundt cakes. Voilà.
Secondly, between Target and Michael’s I’ve stashed a healthy inventory of paper products, stickers, ribbons, sacks and tissue to last for the rest of my life. Realizing I’m prone to exaggeration, that, dear Readers, is the truth. There is nothing I can make that won’t fit nicely into something. Voilà, encore.
SPECULOOS by Dorie Greenspan, Around My French Table
Be prepared: The rolled-out dough needs to be chilled for at least 3 hours.
Makes about 50 cookies
INGREDIENTS:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 (packed) cup light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
Tip: If you prefer spicier, add more ginger and cloves.
DIRECTIONS:
1. Whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices together in a bowl.
2.Working in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter at medium speed until creamy. Add the sugars and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat until well-blended.
3. With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until the flour disappears into the soft dough. You may have some flour at the bottom of the bowl, or the dough may not be entirely smooth, but that’s normal. Using your hands (always my first choice) or a spatula, reach into the bowl and knead or stir the dough 2 or 3 times, just enough to eliminate any dry spots.
4. Divide the dough in half. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll the dough between two sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap until you have a circle that’s a scant ¼ inch thick. As you’re rolling, turn the dough over a couple of times and pull away the paper or plastic, so you don’t end up rolling creases into the dough. Put the rolled-out rounds of dough on a tray or cutting board and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen, well wrapped, for up to 2 months.)
5. When you’re ready to bake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Choose a cookie cutter and remove 1 circle of dough from the refrigerator. Peel off the top piece of wax paper or plastic and cut out as many cookies as you can from the dough, carefully lifting the cutouts onto the lined baking sheet.
6. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are lightly golden and just slightly brown around the edges. Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool.
Kept in an airtight container, the cookies will be fine for a week.
Mom, Dad, and 7 goslings.
CHEEZ-IT-ISH CRACKERS by Dorie Greenspan
INGREDIENTS:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
1/4 pound grated cheese (cheddar, Gruyere, and Emmenthal, are all good choices)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS:
1. Add the butter, cheese, salt, and both peppers to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until the butter is broken into smaller pieces and the mixture forms small curds. Add the flour to the food processor and pulse until curds form again. Keep pulsing. The dough gets very dry and crumbly first but then comes together into curds).
2. Turn the dough onto your work surface and knead briefly to bring it together. Divide in half, shape each half into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to 3 days.
3. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
4. Remove one disk from the fridge and roll it to a scant 1/4-inch thickness between sheets of parchment. Using a small cookie cutter,about 1 1/4-inches, cut rounds from the dough. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet – you don’t need to leave much space in between, these don’t spread.
5. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the crackers are firm and golden. Use a spatula to transfer the crackers to a wire rack to cool.
The crackers are good warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container. They’ll be good for at least 4 days.
FRENCH FRIDAYS WITH DORIE is an international group of food bloggers who are cooking their way through Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table Cookbook. Thanks to Kathy Van Bruinisse at Bakeaway with Me for reminding me to bake these tasty crackers. Visit our FFWD link by clicking here.
Happy Mothers Day and thanks for great recipes and packaging ideas ……
Love this post Mary, it’s so true that it’s difficult to package homemade gifts in an appealing fashion. I’m excited about your cookie recipe as I’ve tried several Speculoos recipes and have been disappointed. I love the addictive Biscoff cookies and have been hoping to find a similar recipe. These might be what I’ve been looking for! Maybe that wouldn’t be so good though as once I start eating Biscoff, it’s very difficult to stop…
Two wonderful make up recipes—and I love your packaging ideas! So clever. And the goslings are adorable. Too much cuteness in this post 🙂
Ditto what Liz said. Too much cuteness.
Now Mary, I have a hard time believing you are ever at a loss for anything. Please don’t burst my bubble.
Xo
Two scrumptious recipes, Mary…both favorites in my house! I have baked Speculoos every Christmas for years! It’s a Dutch tradition! Love all your packing ideas…such pretty ways to gift baked goods. Have a great weekend!
Love this post! The cookies look so yummy and I am so going to make them.
I was just reading up on the ingredients for Speculoos! I too collect all sorts of containers!
Cookies, smookies. The goslings are to DIE for!!!
How very nice! We have a great stash of white paper take-out boxes – an idea I stole from Trevor. That way, we never have to worry about getting any of our containers back, and they look nice to take to people – as you know! And, you’re right, people always appreciate something homemade.
Happy Mother’s Day! xoxo
You knew that I would notice your Chanel boxes!!! Your treats looks great. I love the cookies ( and think the round shape looks elegant). I have yet to make the crackers, but really need to one of these days.
Your baby pictures are adorable! I think of you when the pairs of cardinals and orioles come to visit here. Bird watching is so entertaining!!
Lovely post, my dear!
Candy, You do realize, don’t you, that I got the “Chanel” box idea from you. Remember when we made the Palets de Dames (I think it was) and you couldn’t find a container to transport them with? You came up with the Chanel Box and it was a perfect touch. I knew I had two boxes somewhere so I found them and added them to my tin container collection. I should have credited you with that idea, for sure. And, the pink bucket is from the caramel corn that Tricia sent me when she was in Chicago. Such a little thrifty recycler I am. Mary
Mary, what absolutely great ideas! When I do manage to get together a hostess gift (which is rare), I never manage it to package it nicely. Those tins are so clever. Your hosts are so very lucky to have you as a guest. Thanks for reminding me about both of these recipes. I definitely need to make them again.
I am in shock that I have just now learned about decorative waxed paper. How can I not know about these basic things. Anyway, love the cookies and hope I get gifted some (or at least 1). I am going to make them as I love these kind of simple crispy tea biscuits. I am with Chris on the Biscoff’s
Hugs, TTR.
Dear Mary, you do know that the Speculoos are some of our very favorite cookies, in just about any shape or form?! They serve them with coffee in spring, summer, fall and winter in the Netherlands as well as Belgium – next time we visit, I will make sure to send you some pictures…their crispy spiciness makes them totally irrestible (at least we think so). The idea with the gift boxes and all that lovely wrapping is fabulous. It is always so difficult to find plates boxes, containers for those homebaked goods that you bring along to a party or invitation. I have started a little new KL tradition – I collect vintage soup tureens (with their lids) and fill them up the rim with freshly baked cookies – not too bad either if you can get your hands on these some bowls or tureens. It is Chanel boxes that I do not have…maybe I should invite you over—
Also love the pictures of your Canada geese and their offspring – very cute indeed!
It has been one of those weeks again and I believe there are more like this on the horizon – thanks for your nice post. Always such a delight to pay a vist to your lovely blog!
Liebe Grüsse & have a wonderful Mpthers´s Day tomorow!
Andrea
Mary, both of your desserts look wonderful. I love your collection of tins, great idea. Happy Mother’s Day to you.
I loved these cookies. We made them for a fundraiser for my daughter’s fencing school.. super hit. Great idea to give as a host gifts. Not being a baker I bring wine, (boring but useful) unless my daughter bakes or my husband brings one of his loaves of bread. Happy Mother’s Day you are both terrific mom and grandmom.
Mary! Great looking recipes – can’t wait to try!!! LOVE the assortment of vintage tins collected from here and there! I bake constantly and promise more than two cookies for you next time! (Mortified!)
Love you Mary … And your blog!
Together again very soon,
xxoo,
Dindy
Those are two great Dorie recipes, and I love your packaging ideas. Hope you’re having a great weekend.
Hi Mary!
Sure looks like you are having some creative fun with a couple of excellent Dorie recipes..love your packages, I’ll take the Chanel box, great idea and use of one fine box ;-). I’ve made the Specululoos cookies a few times, love sandwiching them together with Nutella..speaking of good looking, your blog logo and design are inspiring me, so clean and modern looking 😉
Oh spring baby geese. I need to make those crackers. Happy baking to you.
Oh, those goslings are adorable! Both of these recipes are so good, but I think the crackers are one of my favorites from the book. I also will keep your packaging ideas in the back of my mind, particularly the goodwill/thrift store boxes!
Love the cookies and the Cheez-it-ma-call it Crackers Mary, all packaged for reciprocal gifting! Beautiful. Delicious. OK, so, meanwhile you’ve written that you commented on a post, and, so as I resume to my computer to respond… you won’t believe this… here I am on your post for literal hours… my grandson loved your photos so much… then, my family were looking at them, and then, the post went left up when we then went to Barnes and Noble to pick up a couple of the dude’s summer reading books- but really, what a coincidence! Oops, so sorry now I’ve gone and tripped up your number view!