Dutch Windmill Cookies Recipes

SPECULAAS

Steps:

• In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour with spices, baking powder and salt.
• In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and mix well.
• Stir in by hand half the flour mixture, then add the remaining flour and almonds. Mix with a wooden spoon or knead with hands.
• Divide dough into four parts, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for several hours. (If you are using a mold, chill it as well.)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and grease two cookie sheets.
• Remove one quarter of the dough from the refrigerator and flatten it with your hands. Oil your mold and lightly flour it. Using your fingers, press dough firmly into the mold. Trim any excess dough from the mold with a knife.
• Transfer the cookies onto greased cookie sheets with a spatula, spacing about one inch apart.
• Refrigerate dough trimming to be rerolled later. Lightly flour but do not re-oil cookie mold.
• Repeat process with remaining dough. When cookie sheets are full, bake cookies for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Store in a covered tin.

DUTCH SPECULAAS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, molasses and orange zest. Combine the flour, ground almonds, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, ginger and cardamom. Gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until easy to handle. , Preheat oven to 350°. On a parchment-lined surface, roll a small amount of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Use a floured cookie stamp to press design into dough, then cut with floured 3-in. cookie cutters, leaving 1 in. between cookies. Remove excess dough and reroll scraps, if desired., Transfer parchment with dough to cookie sheet. If dough has warmed, place baking sheet in refrigerator until it firms up, about 10-15 minutes. Bake at 350° until edges are lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

DUTCH WINDMILL COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Stir sour cream and baking soda together in bowl; set aside.
• Combine flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in another bowl; set aside.
• Combine brown sugar and butter in another bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add sour cream mixture; beat at low speed until well mixed. Add flour mixture; continue beating until well mixed.
• Divide dough in half. Wrap half in plastic food wrap; refrigerate. Roll out remaining dough, on lightly floured surface, to 8 3/4-inch square. Cut 7 (1 1/4-inch wide) strips horizontally. Cut strips vertically every 1 1/4 inches to create 49 squares. Cut each square diagonally to create 98 triangles.
• Place 4 triangles (overlapping tips in middle) onto ungreased cookie sheets. Place sliced almonds in center, pressing down lightly. Repeat with remaining triangles. Bake 7-11 minutes or until set. Let cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets; remove to cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough.

SPECULAAS (DUTCH WINDMILL COOKIES)

Steps:

• In a bowl, beat the butter 30 seconds or until softened.
• Combine the remaining ingredients, except for the almonds, in a small bowl.
• Add half of this mixture into the butter. Stir until mixed.
• Add the remaining flour mixture and 1/3 cup almonds and stir until mixed.
• Divide dough in half.
• On lightly floured surface roll one portion ot the dough to 1/8" thickness.
• Cut into desired shapes, place on greased cookie sheet and decorate with remaining almonds (if desired).
• Repeat with second half of dough.
• Bake at 350 degrees 8-10 minutes, or until browned.
• Cool on cookie sheet one minute.
• Remove and allow to cool.

SPECULAAS (DUTCH SPICE COOKIES OR WINDMILL COOKIES)

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Add egg.
• Add remaining ingredients and stir to form a stiff dough.
• If making the cookies without a mold, roll the dough into cylinders that are the diameter of your desired cookies.*
• Freeze for at least 20-30 minutes.
• Slice the chilled dough into thin (~1/4 inch) rounds and place on a cookie sheet. Cookies will spread a little bit upon baking.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
• *Also chill dough before pressing into molds or using cookie cutters.

WINDMILL COOKIE BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk. Combine the flour, cinnamon and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. , Press into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Lightly beat egg white; brush over dough. Sprinkle with almonds., Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes; cut into bars. Cool completely.

SPECULAAS

Steps:

• Using a food processor, finely grind the almonds with 2 tablespoons of the flour. Whisk together ground almonds with the rest of the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
• In a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until combined.
• With the mixer on low speed, add in the flour mixture and mix until just moistened and combined.
• Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap well with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least three hours, but preferably overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Roll dough 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out cookies and place on sheets about 1 inch apart.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through, until firm and lightly golden around the edges. Cool sheets on wire racks for a couple minutes before transferring cookies directly onto wire racks with a spatula to finish cooling.

WINDMILL COOKIES

Steps:

• Stir together baking soda and water until baking soda is dissolved.
• Beat together butter, brown sugar, and baking soda mixture with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.
• Whisk together flour, salt, and spices, then mix into butter mixture until combined well. Stir in almonds. Form dough into 3 (10- by 3-inch) logs and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Freeze logs until firm, about 4 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Keeping remaining logs frozen, cut 1 log crosswise into slices slightly less than 1/4 inch thick and arrange slices 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in middle of oven until set, 12 to 14 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool. Slice and bake remaining dough in same manner.

DUTCH WINDMILL COOKIE SLICES

Steps:

• 1. Mix butter, sugar and sour cream. Add dry ingredients. Mix well and form into rolls and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. Slice 1/4 inch thickness or a little more. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375^ for 10-15 minutes. --- If rolling out for cookie chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Dip cutter in flour and cut in desired shapes. and bake as above.