These speculoos cookies are my quieter answer to gingerbread—warm with cinnamon, softly spiced, and not too sweet. Originating in Belgium and the Netherlands, speculoos biscuits are traditionally baked to celebrate St. Nicholas Day, their spiced aroma filling kitchens at the start of the winter season. This version uses a blend of flours for a tender snap with just enough depth, making them ideal for cutting into shapes, stamping, or decorating with delicate royal icing. Whether baked for a festive table or wrapped up as a gift, these cookies are made to be shared.

Yield: Roughly 20-24 Cookies

Mis en Place

75 G Cake & Pastry Flour

75 G Whole Wheat Flour

100 G All Purpose Flour

1.5 G. Baking Soda

Pinch of Salt

3 G Ground Cinnamon

180 G Unsalted Butter, softened

75 G Brown Sugar

60 G Granulated Sugar

10 G Honey

Royal Icing

225 G Icing / Confectionary Sugar

22 G Meringue Powder

Water, as needed

Method

Step 1

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake & pastry flour, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.

Step 2

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Add honey.

Step 3

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing just until a soft, cohesive dough forms. Avoid overmixing.

Step 4

Shape the dough into a disc, wrap in parchment or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight) until firm.

Step 5

Preheat oven to 325°F (175°C). Roll the chilled dough between sheets of parchment to about ¼-inch thickness or on a floured surface. Cut into desired shapes.

Step 6

Transfer cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10–12 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Royal Icing

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the icing sugar and meringue powder until evenly combined.

Add 30–35 g (2–2½ tbsp) water to start. Mix slowly until the icing comes together, beat until smooth and glossy, about 5-10 minutes.

Pipe and decorate cookies as desired. Allow cookies to dry completely at room temperature for at least 2–4 hours (overnight for best results) before stacking or packaging.