Make Ahead

Spekulatius (German Christmas Cookies)

by:
November  3, 2015
4.5
4 Ratings
Spekulatius (German Christmas Cookies)
Photo by Sabrina
  • Makes about 30 cookies
Author Notes

We Germans love our Christmas Cookies, and there's no holiday season without Spekulatius! If you're lucky there is a special family recipe that's been passed down for generations. The cookies are crisp and crunchy, spiced with Christmas flavors, and great to be dunked in milk or any other tea-time beverage. —Sabrina

Test Kitchen Notes

These cookies are simple to put together and easy to roll out. The spices smell so lovely too, and while I found the cookie a bit more biscuit-like than cookie-like, I do think they'd be quite nice with tea. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon anise
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom
  • 2 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup ground almonds
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/8 cup milk
Directions
  1. Mix the spices in a small bowl.
  2. In a separate mixing bowl, stir together the flour with the almonds, spice mixture, brown sugar, and baking powder, then add in the eggs.
  3. Cut in the butter and gradually add in the milk. Keep kneading (with your hands) for approximately 3 to 5 minutes until a slightly sticky yet well mixed dough resembles. Wrap in foil and let rest for at least 30 minutes/preferably overnight in a cool, dark place.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Roll the dough out with a pin on a slightly floured surface, about 1/2 centimeter thick, then cut out your cookies. You can optionally use stamps or ornaments to stamp them for that extra special look. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and assemble your cookies on it 2 to 3 centimeters apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until they can easily be lifted from the paper and are slightly browned on the surface.
  5. Let cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to three weeks. Enjoy!
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  • Donna Wampner Simmonds
    Donna Wampner Simmonds
  • Allison Bennetts
    Allison Bennetts
  • em-i-lis
    em-i-lis
  • Sabrina
    Sabrina

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7 Reviews

Donna W.
Donna W. December 26, 2021
Please have baking recipe ingredients listed by weight in grams, as an alternative method. Scaling is much more accurate, and inclusive worldwide.
 
Allison B.
Allison B. December 10, 2018
I'm in the process of making this recipe and I found anise seeds versus anise powder so I am using a Morter/pestle to grind down the anise seeds. Is this going to work in the mix or taste bad? I also see that I need two eggs. We will see how this comes together.
 
em-i-lis
em-i-lis November 10, 2015
Sabrina, One more question: what temperature oven do you use for these cookies??
 
Sabrina
Sabrina November 10, 2015
I must have been half asleep when I typed it! So sorry! Don't now what went wrong this time, somehow the double-checking went wrong... The oven is 180°C or 350°F! Hope they turn out great now!
 
em-i-lis
em-i-lis November 10, 2015
Hi, I've just made the dough for these and had two questions: eggs aren't included in your ingredient list but the recipe says "the egg". Just want to confirm that there is only one egg. Also, the dough is very, very dry. Do you ever add more milk? Thanks! Emily
 
Sabrina
Sabrina November 10, 2015
Hi Emily, thank you very, very much for pointing this out - I must have completely missed the eggs in the ingredient list when typing the recipe... I'm so sorry for the inconvenience! So there are TWO eggs included. Then the dough should have the right consistency - otherwise I would actually suggest adding more milk - even though that's never happened to me. As long as I included two eggs - sorry about that again! Hope you can still save your dough!
 
em-i-lis
em-i-lis November 10, 2015
Great, thanks! I have already added the milk and butter but will lightly whip another egg, add it and see. Thanks, Sabrina!