Speculaas have been baked as far back as the 15th century in the Netherlands and Germany, but over the years their popularity has spread to many other countries. They are definitely associated with Christmas and were embossed with images of Saint Nicholas and were delicious cookie treats gifted to children.

This recipe for Speculaas is Grain, Dairy, Gluten and Egg Free to accommodate many, and they are SCD Legal. The cookie is absolutely delicious, and the warming spices make this a holiday cookie to be loved and made over and over. They are a perfect treat with a cup of tea! I can’t wait until cookie time to have these lately.

If you don’t have a Speculaas and Springerle roller, you can still make these cookies with an embossed cookie cutter, or just roll them out and cut them into pretty shapes like you would a sugar cookie. But these can be made the traditional way with a roller like I did. This is where I got my Speculaas Rolling Pin. There are also some really pretty ones here.

Here’s the recipe:

Speculaas

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups of Raw Cashews

1/2 Cup of Tahini

1/4 Cup of Runny Honey

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

1/4 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

1/4 Teaspoon of Salt

and the following warm spices that make the traditional Speculaas flavor:

1/2 Teaspoon of Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon of Nutmeg

1/4 Teaspoon of Cloves

1/8 Teaspoon of Ginger

1/8 Teaspoon of Ground Anise

1/8 Teaspoon of Cardamom

Directions:

In a food processor, grind the cashews until finely ground. Add the spices, baking soda and salt and pulse until thoroughly combined. Now add the tahini, honey and vanilla extract and process until thoroughly blended stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.

Gather up your dough and pat it out on a piece of plastic wrap into a 4 x 6 rectangle. Wrap it tightly and refrigerate for one hour.

After one hour, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. and lay out a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Take our your refrigerated cookie dough and place it between two sheets of parchment. With a regular rolling pin, roll the dough between the parchment out to a little less than 1/2 inch thick. Remove the top sheet of parchment, and straighten up your sides with your hands to make a rectangle. Now, take your Speculaas rolling pin and roll with medium pressure across the dough. I did this in two rows. You will get the feel for how much you need to press. This will spread your dough a little more as you roll and also emboss the cookie dough. It doesn’t need to be perfect. With a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, score the cookie dough also trimming the outer sides, but not moving the cookies.

Bake in your preheated oven for 14 minutes or until deeply golden brown, but not burned. I like to start checking after 12 minutes.

Take the baked cookies out of the oven and while still warm, run your pizza cutter or sharp knife down the scored lines again to separate the cookies. Let them cool completely on the cookie sheet. Store in an airtight container after cooled.

If you need some holiday shopping ideas and winter self care, here is a list of some of the things my family loves!

Some of our favorite things!

The cutest comfy nightgowns The sheep are adorbs!

A beautiful Matcha Tea Gift Set

Elderberry Syrup for Immunity

Magnesium Body Lotion for Better Sleep, More Magnesium, Aches and Pains (scent free)

For the little children:

Super Cool Train Set

Unicorn Chair for the Little Princesses

Rainbocorns are very popular in the elementary age crowd right now.

Beautiful Dog Collars for the Pups. Ming has the red one.

Also, giving the gift of clean beauty is always a wonderful way to show your love and appreciation for someone and switch to safer products. Do you have a lip wear preference? I like to wear something on my lips to protect them, give me a color pop, shimmer or shine and take good care of my lips. If you’ve ever had chapped lips, you know how uncomfortable that is. Beautycounter lip products are all GLUTEN-FREE, nut-free, soy-free & vegan AND are tested 3 times for safety from hormone disrupting chemicals and heavy metals. BC lips are my favorite of all time, not just safer – they’re so hydrating and not sticky! Here’s some more helpful info when choosing a lip product:

The Jellies shimmer and shine and fit right into your pocket. They are a cushy, non-sticky gloss. They come in duos of Sorbet & Peppermint, Orange Cream & Honey, or Raspberry & Cocoa.

Beyond Gloss delivers shimmer (if you pick a shimmer shade) and shine with sheer clean color. I LOVE that is has Responsibly sourced vanilla: ECOCERT-certified organic vanilla from Madagascar is responsible for this gloss’ signature sweet scent. Our supplier is committed not only to sourcing the highest quality of vanilla, but also to improving the quality of life for their community of farmers.

Sheer Genius Conditioning Lipstick is creamy and buildable with the conditioning benefits of a balm, so it gives you color with the benefits of a balm. Again with that Responsibly sourced vanilla that smells so darn good!

Color Intense Lipstick is a long wearing lipstick with a satin finish with natural peppermint oil. My current favorite is 9 to 5, but I can’t wait to try some other shades too. A definite Date night or Dress Up lipstick, or if you like a matte look.

You can shop Beautycounter with me here: https://www.beautycounter.com/sandrashields

I’d love to help you switch to safer, and every time I can be of service helping someone switch to safer, I do a little jazzy hands, happy dance!

As always, I love to hear from you! Drop me a comment below and touch base. Have a wonderful holiday season!

xoxo