Speculaas Snowflakes
Photo: Jeffery Cross; Styling: Kelly Allen
We took our ultra-buttery Sheet Pan Scottish Shortbread dough and added the spice combination traditionally used in Dutch speculaas cookies. You’ll need a 9-in. square nonstick Nordic Ware snowflake shortbread pan (find on Amazon). Or bake the whole batch of dough in a 12- by 17-in. rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper; while warm, sprinkle with 2 tbsp. coarse white sparkling sugar instead of the 5 tbsp. granulated sugar and cut into rectangles or squares.
How to Make It
Step 1
1
Preheat oven to 275°. In a stand mixer, beat room temperature butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves on medium speed with paddle attachment until well blended and fluffy. Add rice flour and beat on low speed until incorporated, scraping bowl as needed. Gradually add all-purpose flour; beat on low until blended, scraping bowl occasionally.
Step 2
2
Brush a 9-in. square nonstick snowflake shortbread pan with melted butter. Press 1 1/4 cups dough into pan until very even and smooth. Bake until shortbread is golden in center, 50 minutes. Reduce oven to 250°, drape shortbread with parchment paper, and continue to bake until a finger pressed lightly into center of dough leaves no imprint, 15 minutes more.
Step 3
3
Set shortbread on a cooling rack and let cool 10 minutes. Loosen from pan with a thin sharp knife and invert onto a board. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp. granulated sugar and repeat to use remaining dough (for 5 batches total). After shortbread cools, if you find that you'd like it crunchier, set on a rimmed baking sheet, cover with parchment paper, and pop into a 250° oven for about 20 minutes.
Step 4
4
Make ahead: Airtight at room temperature, up to 1 week, or frozen, up to 3 months.
Step 5
5
Note: Nutritional analysis is per cookie.
Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds (5 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature, plus melted butter for the pan
1/2 cup plus 5 tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/4 cups white rice flour, like Bob's Red Mill
4 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
Step 1
1
Preheat oven to 275°. In a stand mixer, beat room temperature butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves on medium speed with paddle attachment until well blended and fluffy. Add rice flour and beat on low speed until incorporated, scraping bowl as needed. Gradually add all-purpose flour; beat on low until blended, scraping bowl occasionally.
Step 2
2
Brush a 9-in. square nonstick snowflake shortbread pan with melted butter. Press 1 1/4 cups dough into pan until very even and smooth. Bake until shortbread is golden in center, 50 minutes. Reduce oven to 250°, drape shortbread with parchment paper, and continue to bake until a finger pressed lightly into center of dough leaves no imprint, 15 minutes more.
Step 3
3
Set shortbread on a cooling rack and let cool 10 minutes. Loosen from pan with a thin sharp knife and invert onto a board. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp. granulated sugar and repeat to use remaining dough (for 5 batches total). After shortbread cools, if you find that you'd like it crunchier, set on a rimmed baking sheet, cover with parchment paper, and pop into a 250° oven for about 20 minutes.
Step 4
4
Make ahead: Airtight at room temperature, up to 1 week, or frozen, up to 3 months.
Step 5
5
Note: Nutritional analysis is per cookie.
Search All of Sunset's Recipes
The Latest
Here’s How to Make the Coolest-Looking Container Garden (Hint: Ditch the Terracotta Pot)
