An Iconic Belgian Treat
The first time I ever had a Belgian Speculoos was on Delta Airlines. Since the 1990s, they have served the ginger and cinnamon-spiced biscuits with coffee on their flights. I loved the crunchy little cookies, but had a hard time finding them. Back then, I didn’t even know they were Belgian. Years later, during one of Bruz Beers’ annual beer tours of Belgium, I learned a lot more about one of Belgium’s most iconic foods.
What are Speculoos?
Speculoos are small crisp biscuits, usually rectangular, that come in a number of molded shapes. They are a type of caramelized shortbread cookie that is spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves and ginger. One reason they are so beloved in Belgium ‘is that they were traditionally a Christmastime treat, although they are available year-round today. Children would place their shoes near the fireplace on December 5th, and would awaken to find them filled with Speculoos, mandarins and chocolate on the Feast of Saint Nicholas, December 6th.
While many Belgian families make their own Speculoos at home around the holidays (see the recipe below), a number of commercial producers offer them packaged. If you order a coffee in Belgium, it will typically be served with a Speculoos. The largest producer of the biscuits is Lotus Bakeries, which now sells them under the name of Biscoff. The name is a combination of “biscuit” and “coffee,” and was intended to make the name easier to recognize and pronounce as Lotus developed them into a global brand. Because Speculoos is a generic name that can’t be copyrighted, Biscoff provides the company with a degree of protection from competitors, especially in international markets. In 2020, when Lotus’ CEO announced plans to drop the Speculoos name from the Biscoff packaging, he was met with a wave of indignation and threats of boycotts from the Belgian public. Many Belgians consider Speculoos to be a key part of their gastronomic heritage, like beer, chocolate, frites and waffles. Lotus ended up adding back “The Original Speculoos” to its packaging in Belgium, France and the Netherlands, although the name Biscoff is used by itself everywhere else.
Other Brands and Products
Lotus Biscoff is not the only brand of Speculoos. Both Trader Joe’s and Sprouts have their own versions, as do Choc Zero, Schär, Hellema and many independent bakers.
Not surprisingly, Biscoff and others have a number of brand extensions, including sandwich cookies with vanilla or coffee cream filling, and the increasingly popular cookie butter (made from ground-up Speculoos mixed with oil and spices) which is to die for. Forget Nutella! If you want to try something spectacular, make a Speculoos pie crust for pumpkin or cream pies.
Make Your Own Speculoos at Home
Many Belgian families make their own Speculoos for the holiday season, but you can really make them any time. Try the following recipe to make these delicious spice cookies.
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups All-purpose flour
5 tsps Ground Ceylon cinnamon (Ceylon is key to authentic taste)
1 tsp Ground cardamom
¼ tsp Ground clove
¼ tsp Nutmeg
¼ tsp Kosher salt
¼ tsp Baking powder
¼ tsp Baking Soda
1/8 tsp Ground ginger
8 Tb Cold unsalted butter cut into ½” cubes
1 whole Egg
¾ cup Belgian brown soft candi sugar
(Note: The candi sugar, Brun Foncé, is key to the flavor and honeycomb texture of the Speculoos. Ordinary brown sugar will not work. You can find this sugar at many homebrew stores or online from sites like northernbrewer.com. As an alternative, you can use turbinado sugar, Sugar in the Raw. Use a food processor to grind the sugar crystals into a powder.)
Directions
Molds or Embossed Rolling Pins Add Designs
Whisk together the first nine dry ingredients and set aside.
Thoroughly cream (10 mins) the sugar, butter and egg.
Add the dry ingredients to the sugar/butter mixture and knead into a dough ball.
Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment to a thickness of 3/8-inch. Lift the dough, along with the parchment sheets onto a flat baking sheet. Put the dough into the refrigerator for 1-1/2 hours.
Remove the dough from the fridge and cut into rectangles with a fluted pastry wheel. You can also press it into decorative cookie molds or cut it with an embossed rolling pin. Work efficiently to keep the dough cold.
Place cut-out cookies onto parchment on a baking sheet.
Bake in a 300º preheated oven and bake for 30 to 32 minutes. Remove and cool for 20 minutes.
Enjoy an iconic Belgian biscuit with coffee, tea or on its own.
Santé!
