•SPECULAAS •
(Windmill Cookies - of Belgian origin)

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup butter (unsalted), softened
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds


Directions:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour with spices, baking powder
and salt.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at high speed until light
and fluffy. Beat in the egg and mix well.

3. Stir in by hand half the flour mixture, then add the remaining
flour and almonds. Mix with a wooden spoon or knead with hands.

4. Divide dough into four parts, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for
several hours (If you are using a mold, chill it as well).

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and grease two cookie
sheets.

6. 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.

7. Transfer the cookies onto greased cookie sheets with a spatula,
spacing about one inch apart.

8. Refrigerate dough trimming to be rerolled later. Lightly flour but
do not re-oil cookie mold.

9. 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.

Makes 2 dozen
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