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       St. Nicholas    Recipe

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        Speclaas (ginger biscuits or ginger bread cookies)

Ingredients:

    Cinnamon                                   Aniseed

    Powdered Cloves                      Powdered Cardamon

    Nutmeg                                       Powdered Ginger

    Powdered Coriander                  Mace

    Allspice                                            

   

    The proportion is very  much a question of taste, as are the spices you use.  Each baker has his or her on "secret" blend. The trick is to be very careful with the very strong spices, and leave out the ones you don't like.

 

    200 grammes or 1 cup self-rising (cake) flour

    salt

    1 1/2 tablespoons speculaas spices (see above)

    125 grammes or 1/2 cup dark brown sugar

    125 grammes or 1/2 cup of butter or margarine

    2 tablespoons milk

    slivers of blanched almonds for decoration

   Mix the flour, salt, spices, sugar and the butter or margarine in a bowl, using two knives to finely cut the butter or margarine into the mixture.  Add milk. Knead the mixture with cold hands until you have firm dough. wrap the dough in aluminum foil or clear plastic and let it cool in the refridgerator for 24 hours. Roll out the dough and cut out figures using a biscuit (cooky) cutter.