As the weather cools off and we turn our attentions to things indoors, many people will start planning out their holiday preparations. One of those activities for many is holiday baking which often includes some of the stronger, more pungent spices, like cloves, etc. These spices often bring a warmth to baked goods that are a special treat at this time of the year.
In several European countries, they combine several of these spices together to create a holiday special called spéculoos or speculaas. These are thin, very crunchy cookies, usually with some type of holiday image stamped into the front of them. This image is often, St. Nicholas. The spices used to create these cookies are usually cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, anise and cardamom.
While we do not really sell many cookies or crisps at The Frenchman’s Corner, we do sell several chocolates that include the spéculoos spices. Our Neuhaus line actually includes several chocolates that include some or all of these spices. In fact, just this week, we received some new truffles from Neuhaus, one of which is called the Spéculoos truffle. The spices are quite strong, but to those who love ginger, this is one that you absolutely should try. You may find that you have a new favorite.
