Daring Bakers, January: Gevulde Speculaas

Francijn of Koken in de Brouwerij was our January 2013 Daring Bakers’ Hostess and she challenged us to make the traditional Dutch pastry, Gevulde Speculaas from scratch! That includes making our own spice mix, almond paste and dough! Delicious!

Oh boy--two of my favorite things: speculoos (Biscoff!) and frangipane (almond cream/paste!). The first time I got Biscoff, I was on an airplane flying to San Francisco. I wanted to thieve them from every person on the plane who was weaker than I was. I didn't. I still kinda regret it . . . anyway, I'd see them here and there--at the Navy Commissary that my parents shopped at in my hometown, the World Market (Cost Plus), and one precious day, in a dedicated Biscoff store in San Francisco. Dreams to come true! This recipe wraps a Biscoff crust around frangipane. Thank the culinary world for this invention.




This dessert is full of magic. It prevents bad things from happening. I'm convinced. Case in point: a cup fell from the top shelf of my dish cabinet but landed safely in a tiny, tiny bag of flour sitting on the counter below. HOW THE HECK??? Magic. I am convinced!











Quick Notes:


Frangipane in Biscoff dough! The bottom layer of speculaas dough topped with almond paste already in the pan with the top layer about to go on top. This is the easiest dough in the world to put together. If it's too crumbly after mixing, just add milk til it comes together. If it tears while rolling and putting in the pan, just squoosh it together. Easy peasy!


Most people decorated their gevulde speculaas with whole almonds, but I used slivers to make my almond paste and didn't have enough to make the painstakingly detailed designs that some of my more willing fellow DBers created. Thus, rolled out stars. It works, what can I say?


Baked! Make sure you use a pan that allows you to easily remove the cake/tart/giant cookie. It won't just pop out. At least, mine wouldn't--no way, no how!


I turned the leftover dough into cookies. Soooo good with tea!

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