You asked for it, so here it is! We are delighted to share with you our recipe for Gevulde Speculaas - a delicious Dutch treat.
Here at Zenders, we make this egg free and dairy free - a fully vegan option. It can also be made gluten free with a few simple tweaks. If you have a go, please share a photo and let us know how your version turned out.
Filling:
250g ground almonds
250g castor sugar
Zest of 1 & 1/2 oranges
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 whole eggs (for a egg free/vegan alternative, use 2 tsp egg replacer with 1/4 cup water)
Base:
300g butter (or dairy free alternative)
300g brown sugar
2 whole eggs (for a egg free/vegan alternative, use 2 tsp egg replacer with 1/4 cup water)
1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
450g flour (or gluten free alternative)
1/2 c water
15g baking powder (or gluten free alternative)
30g speculaas spice mix
Start by making the filling. Mix all the filling ingredients until well combined, then chill.
Then make the base. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and then remaining ingredients. Mix well.
Spread half of the base mixture into a baking tray. Use wet hands to make this process easier. Place in the freezer until very cold (but not frozen solid).
Spread the remaining base mixture on to a second tray, again using wet hands. Spread filling over the base mixture. Set aside.
Once the first half of the base mix is cold and holding together, turn out onto the filling on the second tray.
Bake at 150 degrees for between 45-50 minutes, or until golden.
Speculaas spice is readily available in Dutch stores, however if you’re wanting to make your own, try this blend:
2 & 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground aniseed
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp ground coriander seed
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground mace