Speculoos – Belgian Spice Cookies

These cookies are like gingerbread cookies crossed with Biscoff biscuits (I’m a big fan of both). They are thin and crunchy and IMO totally addictive. They do take some planning, because you have to refrigerate the dough overnight. But once made, they keep well in a sealed container for over a week (if you don’t eat them all by then!)

 

Ingredients

• 1½ cups all purpose flour
• ½ cup oat flour or almond meal
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper

Directions

1. Beat sugar and butter together in a large bowl until light.
2. Add egg and beat until fluffy.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour and spices.
4. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture just until combined.
5. Divide dough in half. Flatten each half into a rectangle. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
6. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch thick.
7. Cut dough into small rectangles, about 1-inch by 2-inches, or cut into shapes with cookie cutters. If dough feels dry, add a bit of water.
8. Garnish with slice almonds (optional)
9. Bake at 350F on parchment-lined baking sheets until the cookies have darkened and the edges have begun to brown, about 14 minutes.
10. Remove from heat and cool.

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

I‘ve tried many chocolate chip cookie recipes, including the one from Joy of Cooking… but this one is definitely the best one. I’ve found very similar recipes across the internet, but I made a couple of changes, to get the slightly soft, chocolatey cookies my husband and I both love.  As in any recipe, good quality ingredients are key – I like to use Nestle or Guittard chocolate chips here. I used a total of 2½ cups of chocolate chips in this recipe – a little more than most other recipes I’ve seen – and actually, it could probably use even more. If you think it’s not possible to stir this many chocolate chips into the batter, you’re wrong. While the batter might appear to be a large helping of chocolate with a side of dough, once these cookies are baked, they’ll have the right amount of chocolate.

Forget your diet, these cookies are worth the splurge. Plan ahead though – it’s best to make the dough and chill overnight for better results. I made two batches of these cookies, one with dough chilled for 5 hours, and a second batch with the dough chilled 29 hours. The second batch had a richer flavour – they were worth the wait! Use lighter coloured baking sheets to avoid cookie bottoms that are too brown.

Finished product, cookies chilled 5 hours

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 ¼ cups brown sugar
• ¼ cup white granulated sugar
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1 ½ vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips

 

Directions

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
3. Pour melted butter into a a mixer’s work bowl. Add white and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed.
4. Add egg, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
5. Slowly incorporate flour mixture until thoroughly combined. 
6. Stir in chocolate chips.
7. Chill dough for up to 36 hours.
   

   Dough chilled 29 hours

8. Preheat oven to 350 ºF (for crispier cookies, preheat to 375 ºF)
9. Form balls of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Flatten slightly.
10. Bake for about 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 6 minutes (rotate baking sheet for even browning).
11. Cool for a few minutes, then enjoy a cookie or two while they’re still warm!
12. Cool completely; store in airtight container.

Waffle Cookies

Who said waffle irons are just for waffles? I found this recipe in a magazine a long time ago and finally tried it out, reducing the amount of chocolate chips slightly (otherwise there is not enough dough to hold them all together!)

The waffle iron makes funky cookies, crisp on the outside yet moist and soft on the inside.

Heat waffle iron. In a large bowl, whisk together until smooth:

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup sugar

Whisk in:

• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Stir in:

• 1 cup + 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp instant coffee powder
• ¾ cup bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks

Coat waffle iron with cooking spray. Spoon about one tablespoon of batter onto each waffle section/square.

Close the iron and cook until the cookies begin to brown, about 1-3 minutes.

Transfer cookies to a wire rack and repeat with the remaining dough.

Hermit Cookies

These hermit cookies are so yummy, with a hint of spice. For a gluten-free version, use oat flour, which also gives the cookies a slightly nutty flavour, and a lighter, more delicate texture.

Ingredients
6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
(Gluten-free cookies: use 1 1/2 cup oat flour instead of all-purpose and whole wheat flour)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp milk
1 cup raisins
1 cup pecans (or walnuts), coarsely chopped
1 cup chocolate chips (milk and semisweet)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until smooth.
2. Beat in eggs until creamy. Stir in vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add mixture to first bowl.
4. Fold mixture together until doughy. Stir in milk.
5. Add raisins, nuts, and chocolate chips.
6. Chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F.
7. Spoon dough onto baking sheets, about 5 cm apart.
8. Bake until golden brown (about 12-14 minutes. Gluten-free version requires 14-15 minutes). Let cool before removing from baking sheets.

Makes about 2 dozen large cookies.