Granted, there are some Belgian culinary specialties that can make even the most fragile stomachs retch. These include tuna fishing, eel in green sauce and bloempanch… But Belgian cuisine is also synonymous with pride. The international reputation of our moules-frites, waffles and Brussels sprouts bears witness to this… Another sweet delicacy that delights the whole world: speculoos! For those with a sweet tooth (the real kind), we’re sharing a recipe for speculoos from Maison Dandoy, Brussels’ oldest cookie factory. Aprons up!
Maison Dandoy, a Belgian institution
Founded in 1829, Maison Dandoy is a traditional cookie factory that has become part of Belgium’s gourmet heritage. Its secret? Intact know-how, handed down from generation to generation, that keeps alive the magic of speculoos, the spicy cookie with an inimitable taste that has become emblematic of Belgium. For 195 years, it has been delighting the people of Brussels and visitors from all over the world.
Flour, butter, brown sugar and spices like cinnamon and cloves… All these ingredients are shaped by hand, using traditional methods. For even greater respect of tradition, they are baked in the old speculoos molds still in use today. The magic happens in the workshops of the historic heart of Brussels, more precisely in their oldest cookie factory, located on Rue du Beurre (a name like that, you can’t make it up).
Simple and authentic, this is the ancestral recipe for Maison Dandoy‘s speculoos, whose inimitable taste of spiced caramel has made them famous.
Maison Dandoy’s speculoos recipe, for a taste of Belgium at home
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
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Ingredients
– 1 kg light flour (non-fermenting)
– 300 g butter
– 600 g dark candy brown sugar
– 0.1 l water
– 1 pinch salt
– 1 tablespoon baking soda (baking powder)
– 1 teaspoon cinnamon
– 1 pinch ground cloves
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Equipment
– container
– sieve (optional)
– rolling pin
– speculoos mold (optional)
– wire (optional)
– baking tray
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Preparation
- Mix the brown sugar, butter, salt and spices in a bowl until smooth.
- Gradually add the cream to the water, stirring well.
- If possible, sift the flour with the baking powder to avoid lumps.
- Gradually add the flour and baking powder to the mixture, stirring all the time to obtain a dense dough. Be careful not to knead too much, as this will prevent the dough from becoming elastic. If the dough is too sticky, place it in the fridge for a while.
- Divide the dough into several pieces and roll out lightly with a rolling pin.
- Generously flour your speculoos mold, then press the dough into it by hand. Trim any excess with a wire. Tap the mold against the edge of the table to loosen the dough, then carefully place it on a greased baking sheet.
- If you don’t have a speculoos mold, roll out the dough more thinly, between 2 and 5 mm thick, then cut out your shapes with a knife or cookie cutters as desired.
- Place in a preheated oven at 180°C and bake for ten minutes or more, depending on the thickness of your cookies.
With this homemade recipe, you now have the key to bringing the taste of Brussels back into your kitchen. Get cooking, and let the magic of Dandoy speculoos begin!