One of the most rewarding aspects of participating in the Daring Bakers' Challenges has been the opportunity to try recipes from other cultures, that I likely would never have heard of before. Gevulde Speculaas is one of these recipes. This dessert did not take very long to put together, and the spice mixture makes the house smell amazing when baking. I loved the combination of almond cream with the spice dough, and I would definitely make this again.
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| Blend together spices to create Speculaas spice mixture |
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| Make the Speculaas dough |
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| Make almond cream, and spread layer of almond cream between two layers of Speculaas dough. |
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| Decorate with whole almonds and bake. |
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| Yum! |
Spice Mixture
Makes enough for one Speculaas recipe
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp mace
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1. Mix spices together.
Speculaas Dough
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup brown sugar
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons speculaas spices
3/4 cup unsalted butter, diced
1. Knead all ingredients together until smooth. If dough is dry, you may add a little milk.
2. Wrap dough in cling-wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Almond Paste
1 1/3 cups almond flour
5/8 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp lemon zest
1. Combine ingredients with hands or food processor, until paste is formed. Refrigerate until ready to assemble dessert.
Assembling and Baking Gevulde Speculaas
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Lightly grease a round 10-inch pan.
3. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces, and roll out on floured surface, to fit baking pan.
4. Press first layer of speculaas dough in pan, and spread almond cream over it. Place second layer of speculaas dough over almond cream layer.
5. Decorate pastry with whole almonds and bake for 40 minutes at 350 F.
6. Allow pastry to cool completely in pan before cutting.
7. Enjoy!
Adapted from original recipe available at http://www.thedaringkitchen.com/sites/default/files/u11/75_Speculaas_-_DB_Jan_2013.pdf
-Posted by Jennifer
