Versione in italiano a fondo pagina
Here is another interesting recipe! Gevulde Speculaas. I was really curious about it as it was totally new for me. It is an almond filled speculaas pie. Speculaas is a spicy dough used to make biscuits in the
I like spices and has most in my cupboard already, except for mace (macis in Italian), which I confess I had never come across before. I discovered it is the ground covering of the nutmeg seed. Reddish and lacy in texture, it is somewhat milder in taste compared to ground nutmeg.
source: Wikipedia
photo by:Big Dubya - mace (macis)
photo by: HBarrison
photo by:souvikdg - mace (macis)
mace powder (macis in polvere) da qui
Gevulde Speculaas: work in progress
almost done...done
As usual, I am pasting below what our hostess wrote for us. I think there is no better way to convey the carefully thought, precise, instructions Francijn gave us. Thank you Francijn!
----------------- . ----------------
Hello! My
name is Francijn from Koken in de Brouwerij,
http://kokenindebrouwerij.blogspot.it/, and I'm proud to be a Dutch Daring
Baker since April 2008. I made my first cake for my own twentieth birthday,
using my very first cookbook. And since then I am a devoted baker, and my
slogan is “I can make that myself”. I love to bake things that other people
buy.
This month
we're going to make a traditional Dutch pastry: gevulde speculaas (stuffed
speculaas). It is not hard to make, it doesn't take a lot of time, but it is
delicious, beautiful and very traditional. And everyone I know buys it instead
of baking.
Recipe
source: Dutch culture
Blog-checking
lines: 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!
Posting
date: January 27, 2013
Notes: You
can choose to make this recipe in one day. But to enjoy the full flavor you
could take a few days. Make the almond paste and speculaas dough, put both in
the refrigerator and wait a few days before assembling the stuffed speculaas.
Make sure to read the notes about eggs I made in the almond paste recipe. Work
hygienically. Storage instructions are included with each part of the recipe.
Mandatory
items: I challenge you to make this recipe from scratch. Make your own almond
paste, mix your own spices. And if you really want to taste a piece of Holland
Variations
allowed: You can use your creativity for the shape and almond-decoration of the
pastry.
Preparation
times:
Making the
almond paste: 10-20 minutes
Making the
speculaas dough: 10-20 minutes
Waiting: 2
hours or a few days (your choice)
Assembling:
30 minutes
Baking: 40
minutes.
Cooling: a
few hours.
Equipment
required:
rolling pin
food
processor (to grind the almonds)
clingfoil
shallow
baking pan, 8x10 inch (20x26 cm) or round with a 10 inch (26 cm ) diameter
History
Let us
start with a little history, about the Netherlands
Until 1800
cloves, mace and nutmeg are exclusively found on the Maluku Islands
To make
one's fortune in Europe through the spice
trade, one needed a monopoly on the European trade. Since 1500 the Portuguese
owned that monopoly.
The
Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, too, wanted to get rich from the
spice trade, and established the Dutch East India Company around 1600, to join
forces. Since 1660 the monopoly on spice trade was firmly in Dutch hands. In
the Dutch Golden Age, roughly the 17th century, the republic got rich through
this trade, and flourished like never before, economically, artistically and
scientifically. In many Dutch cities the heritage of this century is still
visible. Sadly, this wealth must be considered in the light of war and
repression. The Dutch used much violence and oppressed people to establish and
defend their monopoly.
Only after
World War II Dutch India became independent from the Netherlands
In light of
this historical involvement of the Netherlands
Speculaas
spices
When spices
had become commonly available in the 17th century, bakers' guilds began to make
their secret spice mixtures. A mixture that gloriously survived the ages is
“speculaaskruiden” (speculaas spices). Speculaaskruiden contain at least
cinnamon, cloves, mace and ginger, and these spices to taste: pepper, cardamom,
coriander, anise seeds and nutmeg.
The smell
of speculaaskruiden is overwhelming, especially when you take the trouble to
mix them yourself. The deliciously warm and woody aroma is a perfect fit for
the chilly Dutch winter months.
From the
golden age onward, this spice mixture was used to bake a crisp, buttery
biscuit: speculaas. For centuries it remained a luxury item, baked only in the
holiday season, and often given as a present. Sometimes bakers made the dough
three months in advance so that the flavor would permeate the dough.
Ever since
the 15th century, the 6th of December has been celebrated as the nameday of St.
Nicholas, combined with an exchange of gifts on the evening before. But in the
age of the Dutch East India Company St. Nicholas became associated with
speculaas. And that is not so strange, as St. Nicholas was the patron saint of
sailors as well as many bakers' guilds.
In the
course of time many recipes using speculaas spices have been created.
Speculaasjes (“speculaas cookies / windmill cookies”) which are shaped using a
wooden mold, speculaasbrokken (“speculaas chunks”), kruidnoten (“spiced nuts /
miniature spiced cookies”), gevulde speculaas (“speculaas stuffed with almond
paste”). And that is not the end of it: speculaas spices can be used in
custards, cakes, muffins, bread toppings, cheesecake crusts and so on.
Recipe Speculaas Spices
Speculaas
spices can be bought in a store. But it's more fun to make your own mixture, so
that you can adjust the flavor. Here is a representative recipe from the
extensive Dutch tradition.
Mandatory:
cinnamon 40 to 60 % of the total amount
ground
cloves 1 or 2 parts
mace ½ or 1 part
ginger ½ or 1 part
Optional:
white
pepper ½ or 1 part
cardamom ½ or 1 part
coriander ½ or 1 part
anise ½ or 1 part
nutmeg 1 or 2 parts
A
convenient way to mix the spices is as follows:
Take at
least 1 or 2 teaspoons of ground cloves, ½ or 1 teaspoon of mace and ½ or 1
teaspoon of ginger.
Add to
taste ½ or 1 teaspoon of white pepper, ½ or 1 teaspoon of cardamom, ½ or 1
teaspoon of coriander, ½ or 1 teaspoon of anise, and 1 or 2 teaspoons of
nutmeg.
Measure or
weigh the amount of spices you have now, and add an equal amount of cinnamon.
This method
yields at least 4 and at most 18 teaspoons of spices, so if you plan to mix
just a few spices, use bigger or more spoons to get a reasonable amount.
Take your
time to smell the ingredients individually before you decide how much to add.
And remember the proportions, that will make adjustments easier next time.
Store the
spices airtight, dry and dark, they will not spoil for a long time.
Recipe Almond Paste
As we are
going to make stuffed speculaas, we will need almond paste. You can buy it in a
store, but homemade almond paste tastes better.
Ingredients:
7/8 cup
(210 ml)(125 gm )(4½
oz) raw almonds (or 1-1/3 cups (320 ml)(125 gm ) (4½ oz) ground almonds)
5/8 cup
(150 ml) (125 grams )
(4½ oz) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon
(5 ml) (3 gm )
lemon zest
Directions:
If the raw
almonds still have their brown skins, remove them as follows. Bring water to a
boil, add the almonds, cook them for one minute, drain immediately and let cool
for a few minutes. Rub them between your fingers to remove the skins.
Grind the
almonds for one or two minutes in a food processor, until you see nothing but
very small pieces. (Or skip this step if you use ground almonds.)
Add the
sugar, and grind for another one or two minutes. It must be very fine after
this step.
Add the egg
and let the food processor combine it - if it is powerful enough. Otherwise you
will have to combine it with your fingers.
Store the
almond paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Although the flavor
gets better as days pass by, it is not wise to store the paste for too long, as
it contains a raw egg. For the same reason you should not eat the paste
unbaked.
To be safe,
you could choose one of these options:
use egg
powder and water to replace the egg (follow instructions with the powder)
use 50 ml
of an other liquid, like lemon juice (in that case, leave the zest out)
add the egg
just before you are going to bake the pastry
The paste
can also be kept in the freezer.
Recipe Speculaas Dough
Ingredients:
1¾ cups (250 gm ) (9 oz ) all purpose (plain)
flour
1 teaspoon
(5 ml) (5 gm )
baking powder
¾ cup (150 grams ) (5-1/3 oz)
brown sugar, firmly packed
a pinch
salt
2
tablespoons (30 ml) (15 gm )
(½ oz) speculaas spices
3/4 cup (1½
stick) (175 gm )
(6 oz )
unsalted butter
Directions:
Put flour,
baking powder, sugar, salt and spices in a bowl.
Cut the
butter in dices and add.
Knead until
smooth.
Feel free to
add a little milk if the dough is too dry.
Wrap in
clingfoil and put in the refrigerator for two hours.
You can
choose to make the dough a few days in advance, just like the almond paste,
that will benefit the flavor. Freezing is no problem.
Assembling and baking the Gevulde Speculaas
Ingredients:
speculaas
dough
almond
paste
whole
almonds without skins for decoration
1 large egg
shallow
baking pan, 8x10 inch (20x26 cm) or, round with of diameter 10 inch (26 cm )
Directions:
1. Grease
the pan.
2. Preheat
the oven to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas 4
3. Divide
the dough into two portions.
4. Roll out
both portions on a lightly floured surface, until they are exactly as big as
the baking pan.
5. Put one
of the layers in the pan and press it lightly to fill the bottom.
6. Lightly
beat the egg with a teaspoon cold water.
7. Smear
1/3 of the egg over the dough in the pan.
8. Roll out
the almond paste between two sheets of clingfoil, until it is exactly as big as
the pan, and put it on the dough in the pan. (If you chose to make the paste
soft, you can smear the paste instead of rolling it.)
9. Press
the paste lightly down to fit in the pan, and smear the next 1/3 of the egg
over it.
10. Now put
the second layer of dough on top of the paste, press it lightly, and make as
smooth as possible.
11. Smear
the last 1/3 of the egg over the dough.
12.
Decorate the pastry with the almonds.
13. Bake
for 40 minutes in the preheated oven.
14. Let
cool completely in the pan, then cut it in portions as you like.
15. If you
wrap the stuffed speculaas in clingfoil, after it has cooled completely, you
can store it a few days at room temperature. Freezing is possible, but fresh
speculaas tastes better.
Storage
& Freezing Instructions/Tips:
Speculaas
spices: store them airtight, dry and dark, and they will not spoil for a long
time.
Almond
paste: keep it in the refrigerator. Some people keep it there for months, but
if it contains raw egg, I recommend not more than a few days. Can easily be
frozen.
Speculaas
dough: can be kept in the refrigerator for days, or in the freezer for months.
But remember: fresh tastes better.
Stuffed
speculaas: if you let it cool completely, you can wrap it in clingfoil and keep
it a few days at room temperature. And again: freezing is possible, but fresh
is better.
Additional
Information:
Additional
Information:
And all
these below are links to inspiring pictures. Have fun
Disclaimer:
The Daring
Kitchen and its members in no way suggest we are medical professionals and
therefore are NOT responsible for any error in reporting of “alternate
baking/cooking”. If you have issues with digesting gluten, then it is YOUR
responsibility to research the ingredient before using it. If you have
allergies, it is YOUR responsibility to make sure any ingredient in a recipe
will not adversely affect you. If you are lactose intolerant, it is YOUR responsibility
to make sure any ingredient in a recipe will not adversely affect you. If you
are vegetarian or vegan, it is YOUR responsibility to make sure any ingredient
in a recipe will not adversely affect you. The responsibility is YOURS
regardless of what health issue you’re dealing with. Please consult your
physician with any questions before using an ingredient you are not familiar
with. Thank you!
__________________
Francijn
Brouwer
http://kokenindebrouwerij.blogspot.com
Disclaimer:
The Daring
Kitchen and its members in no way suggest we are medical professionals and
therefore are NOT responsible for any error in reporting of “alternate
baking/cooking”. If you have issues with digesting gluten, then it is YOUR
responsibility to research the ingredient before using it. If you have
allergies, it is YOUR responsibility to make sure any ingredient in a recipe
will not adversely affect you. If you are lactose intolerant, it is YOUR
responsibility to make sure any ingredient in a recipe will not adversely affect
you. If you are vegetarian or vegan, it is YOUR responsibility to make sure any
ingredient in a recipe will not adversely affect you. The responsibility is
YOURS regardless of what health issue you’re dealing with. Please consult your
physician with any questions before using an ingredient you are not familiar
with. Thank you!
__________________
Francijn Brouwer
http://kokenindebrouwerij.blogspot.com
Italian version
GEVULDE SPECULAAS
Questo dolce è fatto utilizzando lo stesso impasto che viene utilizzato in Olanda per fare biscotti speziati. Qui la differenza è data dal ripieno di pasta di mandorle. Può essere servito come torta o tagliato a pezzetti per farne dei deliziosi dolcetti di forma quadrata, ad esempio, comunque è particolare per la sua consistenza croccante, come quella dei biscotti. La mia decorazione è molto semplice, perché ho sbagliato nel comprare le mandorle, ne ho prese solo per la pasta di mandorle e ho dimenticato che mi sarebbero servite anche per la decorazione, ma vi metto alcune foto di biscottini e torte realizzate da altri concorrenti (v. in basso) per darvi un'idea di quante versioni carine si possano fare.
Per la pasta di mandorle
125 g di mandorle spellate
125 g di zucchero
1 uovo grande
1 cucchiaino di scorza grattugiata di limone
Tritare le mandorle con lo zucchero senza far scaldare troppo l'impasto. Incorporare l’uovo e la buccia grattugiata di limone. Foderare con della pellicola o mettere in un sacchetto per surgelati e lasciar riposare in frigo per circa 2 ore o anche per una notte.
Mix di spezie
Fare un mix con 1 o 2 cucchiaini di chiodi di garofano in polvere (io uno) , 1/2 o 1 cucchiaino di macis e 1/2 o 1 cucchiaino di zenzero in polvere (io uno) .Aggiungere se vi piace 1/2 o 1 cucchiaino di cardamomo, anice, coriandolo, pepe bianco. Pesare e aggiungere pari quantità di cannella o fino al 60%.
Per l'impasto
250 g di farina
15 g di mix di spezie
150 g di zucchero di canna
1 cucchiaio di lievito per dolci
un pizzico di sale
175 g di burro morbido
2 cucchiai di latte (facoltativi - io li ho usati)
In una ciotola mischiare la farina setacciata, lo zucchero, il lievito, il sale e le spezie. Aggiungere poi il burro a tocchetti e impastare fino a formare una palla. Se l’impasto risulta troppo secco aggiungere uno goccio di latte. Avvolgere nella pellicola e mettere in frigo. Lasciar riposare per almeno 2 ore (meglio se per una notte intera).
Assemblaggio:
pasta di mandorle
impasto
uovo sbattuto con due cucchiaini di acqua fredda
mandorle intere spellate per la decorazione
Foderare una tortiera con della carta oleata. Preriscaldare il forno a 180°C.
Divedere l’impasto speziato in due parti, una leggermente più grande dell'altra. Prendere il pezzo più grande, Stenderlo con il mattarello fino a formare un disco per foderare la teglia fino al bordo. Spennellare la superficie con un terzo dell’uovo sbattuto. Distribuire poi il composto di pasta di mandorle e livellarlo. Spennellare di nuovo con un altro terzo di uovo sbattuto.
Stendere l’altra metà di impasto formando un altro disco sempre della stessa dimenzione della teglia. Poggiare sopra alla pasta di mandorle e far aderire con delicatezza. Spennellare con l’uovo rimasto e decorare la torta con le mandorle. Infornare per circa 40 minuti (anche meno - dipende dal vostro forno). Lasciare stiepidide e sformare su una gratella per far raffreddare.
Versions I particularly liked:
work in progress
saranno inserite a breve
come back again to discover them
Italian version
GEVULDE SPECULAAS
Questo dolce è fatto utilizzando lo stesso impasto che viene utilizzato in Olanda per fare biscotti speziati. Qui la differenza è data dal ripieno di pasta di mandorle. Può essere servito come torta o tagliato a pezzetti per farne dei deliziosi dolcetti di forma quadrata, ad esempio, comunque è particolare per la sua consistenza croccante, come quella dei biscotti. La mia decorazione è molto semplice, perché ho sbagliato nel comprare le mandorle, ne ho prese solo per la pasta di mandorle e ho dimenticato che mi sarebbero servite anche per la decorazione, ma vi metto alcune foto di biscottini e torte realizzate da altri concorrenti (v. in basso) per darvi un'idea di quante versioni carine si possano fare.
Ingredienti:
impasto per speculaas
pasta di mandorle
mandorle intere spellate per la decorazione
1 uovo grande
1 uovo grande
una teglia bassa per torte (rettangolare 20 x 26 cm o rotonda di 26 cm di diametro)
Per la pasta di mandorle
125 g di mandorle spellate
125 g di zucchero
1 uovo grande
1 cucchiaino di scorza grattugiata di limone
Tritare le mandorle con lo zucchero senza far scaldare troppo l'impasto. Incorporare l’uovo e la buccia grattugiata di limone. Foderare con della pellicola o mettere in un sacchetto per surgelati e lasciar riposare in frigo per circa 2 ore o anche per una notte.
Mix di spezie
Fare un mix con 1 o 2 cucchiaini di chiodi di garofano in polvere (io uno) , 1/2 o 1 cucchiaino di macis e 1/2 o 1 cucchiaino di zenzero in polvere (io uno) .Aggiungere se vi piace 1/2 o 1 cucchiaino di cardamomo, anice, coriandolo, pepe bianco. Pesare e aggiungere pari quantità di cannella o fino al 60%.
Per l'impasto
250 g di farina
15 g di mix di spezie
150 g di zucchero di canna
1 cucchiaio di lievito per dolci
un pizzico di sale
175 g di burro morbido
2 cucchiai di latte (facoltativi - io li ho usati)
In una ciotola mischiare la farina setacciata, lo zucchero, il lievito, il sale e le spezie. Aggiungere poi il burro a tocchetti e impastare fino a formare una palla. Se l’impasto risulta troppo secco aggiungere uno goccio di latte. Avvolgere nella pellicola e mettere in frigo. Lasciar riposare per almeno 2 ore (meglio se per una notte intera).
Assemblaggio:
pasta di mandorle
impasto
uovo sbattuto con due cucchiaini di acqua fredda
mandorle intere spellate per la decorazione
Foderare una tortiera con della carta oleata. Preriscaldare il forno a 180°C.
Divedere l’impasto speziato in due parti, una leggermente più grande dell'altra. Prendere il pezzo più grande, Stenderlo con il mattarello fino a formare un disco per foderare la teglia fino al bordo. Spennellare la superficie con un terzo dell’uovo sbattuto. Distribuire poi il composto di pasta di mandorle e livellarlo. Spennellare di nuovo con un altro terzo di uovo sbattuto.
Stendere l’altra metà di impasto formando un altro disco sempre della stessa dimenzione della teglia. Poggiare sopra alla pasta di mandorle e far aderire con delicatezza. Spennellare con l’uovo rimasto e decorare la torta con le mandorle. Infornare per circa 40 minuti (anche meno - dipende dal vostro forno). Lasciare stiepidide e sformare su una gratella per far raffreddare.
Versions I particularly liked:
work in progress
saranno inserite a breve
come back again to discover them
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