A Visit to Bruges (Belgium) - Part II (Speculoos)

This is part II of my Bruges mini-series and this post is all about that famous Speculoos in Flemish and Speculaas in Dutch, whichever way you pronounce it, these buttery, short crust cookies that are related to the gingerbread family of cookies, are replete with warming spices such as cinnamon, ginger and cloves. They continue to be a Flemish and Dutch favorite that has captured the fancy of cookie lovers all over the world.

While we visited Bruges a few days ago, we marveled not only at unbelievably delicious local foods and chocolates but we were also lucky enough to sample a variety of these iconic cookies that often come in the shape of picturesque windmills - when we returned home,  I tried to re-create these lovely cookies using some of the specialty wooden molds from my collection.

This mold depicts a lovely rose and was given to me a few years ago - it is from an antique store in Bavaria.

This one was made from a different type of wood and it depicts a bearded fellow...

... when you look closely you can see that the depth of the carvings differs from mold to mold. As a general rule, the more detail there is, the clearer the outlines of the final cookies will be - although it also depends on the kind of recipe that you use for your cookies and whether the dough was chilled properly.

If you are a fan of what is possibly Belgium´s favorite cookie and of all things cookie and speculoos-related, Bruges is the place to visit. Speculoos cookies are actually sold in the US by a famous Begian company as Biscoff cookies.

When you are in Bruges, speculoos cookies are sold at every bakery and some specialty baking shops also carry the traditional wooden baking molds to make these wonderful cookies at home.

One of the most famous bakeries where the speculoos cookies are sold is “Juliette´s”, a bakery run by cookie expert and shop owner Brenda Keirsebilck.

In her iconic, artisanal shop that emanates mouth-watering wafts of almond, sugar, spice and really everything nice, you can find many delicious and decadent treats such as the custom made speculoos - this one features the Belfry of Bruges, the medieval bell tower in the historical centre of Bruges, it is one of the city's most prominent symbols. But there are also birthday and graduation wish hearts, baked invitations and depending on the season, Saint Nicholas´or Easter bunnies.

Or these meringues with different flavors such as “Natuur” (plain) or…

…or “Cocos” (coconut) and “Pistache and Rozenwater” (pistachio and rosewater)…

…or “Mojito”…

…or "Koffie met Hazelnoot" (coffee and hazelnut) and "Nougat" (nougat)...

…or those lovely meringues that are pink-hued and  “Cuberdon-flavored”. Cuberdons are raspberry-flavored and purple, though more recently differently colored variants have been available as well. The outside is relatively hard, whereas the inside is gelatinous. Cuberdons can only be kept for about three weeks, after that the inside begins to crystallize. That is the reason why cuberdons are not exported outside of Belgium - they are considered to be a regional Belgian product.

Speculoos used to be Christmas-time only cookies, but in the last couple of years, there has been a real rebirth regarding these special cookies. Brenda Keirseblick is also the author of “Juliette’s Speculoos: Recipes from Bruges’ most charming biscuit bakery”.

You can sample not only those lovely and delicate meringues but also cupcakes with various toppings, giant cookies and squares of speculoos with delicious, marzipan-filled centers, some dipped in chocolate, others flecked with toasted almond slivers, the combinations are absolutely delightful. I really liked these "Hasseltse zachte Speculoos" - soft speculoos that take their name from "Hasselt", a Belgian city and capital of the Flemish province of Limburg.

There is even an on-site made speculoos spread (also known as "speculoos or biscoof pasta or spread") that is delicious on hot buttered toast or wonderful for baking cookies, cupcakes or cakes.

And last but not least, you can also buy the most tender of "Nougat" (nougat) at Juliette`s.

In order to re-create a bit of the charm of this lovely artisinal bakery at home, I tried out a few recipes for Speculoos, with and without almonds, with more or less generous amounts of spices and finally settled on this spicy version - the smell that eminates from the kitchen while these are baking is nothing short of wonderful - even in August warm spices have a certain magic to them.

Speculoos Cookies

Ingredients for the cookies

• 250 grams white spelt flour (you can substitute wheat flour/AP flour instead)
• 2 tsp freshly ground ginger
• ¾ tsp freshly ground cloves
• 1 tsp freshly ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• ½  tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 110 grams unsalted butter
• 85 grams soft brown sugar (you can use soft light or dark brown sugar)
• 2 tsps pure vanilla sugar
• 1 egg (S), organic or free range whenever possible
• 60 ml clear honey 
• 1 tbsp molasses

Preparation of the Cookies

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, spices, salt and baking soda.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla sugar and continue to beat until soft and fluffy.
3. Add the egg and mix well.
4. Then add the honey and molasses.
5. Add the flour mixture to the butter and mix until you have a smooth dough - it will be soft.
6. Wrap the dough in saran wrap and refrigerate overnight.
7. The following day, preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
8. Take slices of the chilled dough and place on a lightly floured surface.
9. Roll out to around 1 1/2cm thick, then dust the top lightly with flour and press the molds into the dough - or use cookie cutters to cut out your favorite shapes.
10. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets.
11. Bake the cookies for about 10 to 12 minutes or until they are just golden at the edges (you may need more or less time depending on the size of your cookies).
12. When baked, allow the speculoos to cool for a minute or so and  then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

This is just one recipe for Speculoos - there are countless other ones, dark ones, lemon ones, vanilla ones, with or without almonds, the possibilities and the recipes seem to be endless but no matter which recipe you try, now or later during the year, Speculoos cookies are always delicious and pretty and worth the bit of extra work.

Let me be honest, it does take a bit of practice to work with these specialty molds and it is a tad time consuming...

...but definitely worth it (once in a while) and no matter which recipe you try, you should always make sure to use the freshest of spices you can. And as I already mentioned above, if you cannot find or own these specialty wooden cookie molds, you can also use cookie cutters or even a cookie press - speculoos cookies will always taste heavenly no matter what shape they are!

A Visit to Bruges (Belgium) - Part I

The breathtakingly beautiful City of Bruges, Belgium is one of my very favorite places to visit so we went for a one-day visit - what a lovely birthday present from my family.

Bruges is called the "Venice of the North". This splendid medieval city is one of Belgium's crown jewels. In no other European city are the feel and the look of medieval times so present as here in this city close to the North Sea.

For centuries the canals of Bruges have linked the city to the sea, a guarantee of wealth and prosperity. International merchants built up Bruges into one of the largest Hanse cities.

Today Bruges has a population of about 45.000 people (the old center) or 120.000 people (center together with the suburbs). These numbers clearly show that Bruges is not a tiny miniature city. It ranks, even today, among the important cities of Belgium. It is also the capital and the largest city of the Belgian province of West-Flanders. 

It is quite poular with tourists to take a  half-hour carriage ride along Bruges´ historic winding streets.

We started our visit with a stroll to one of the many monasteries.

And paid an obligatory and fun visit to my favorite kitchenware store - you can only find DILLE & KAMILLE (dill & chamomile) stores in Belgium and the Netherlands - last August (also around the time of my birthday) I did a whole blog post about one of these amazing stores in the equally charming City of Middleburg (NL).

This is the beautiful red brick wall of a monastery or "Klooster" with wonderful pink and white hydrangeas in full bloom...

...and carved angels watching over the wooden entrance door.

Dominique Persoone, the man who runs The Chocolate Line, is a legend both at home and abroad. The Chocolate Line is one of the three chocolate shops that is mentioned in the Michelin guide. The Chocolate Line delivers pralines to "Hof van Cleve" and "Oud Sluis",  top restaurants in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Bruges is a chocolate city par excellence. The city has more than 50 passionate chocolatiers. Bruges is a place where established names and fresh up-and-coming talents certainly complement each other. Here you can both sample the traditional chocolate craft and many new chocolate creations. It is said that nowhere in the world will you find better chocolate.

This is a picture of the seal of the Bruges Chocolate Guild which depicts the Bruges swan (Brugsch Swaentje), a local specialty creation. The exact recipe remains a secret, but amongst the key ingredients are almond paste, "gruut" (a local type of spiced flour) and "kletsekoppen" (a local Bruges biscuit). Created in January 2006, the Bruges swan has been sold in the shops of the city’s officially recognised confectioners, all of whom are members of the Bruges Chocolate Guild.

In one of the countless chocolate stores, you can chose from many varities of chocolate truffles such as these. These lovely truffles are a chocolate confectionery, traditionally made with a chocolate ganache centre coated in chocolate, icing sugar, cocoa powder or chopped toasted nuts (such as hazelnuts, almonds or coconut), usually in a spherical, conical, or curved shape. Other fillings may replace the ganache such as cream, melted chocolate, caramel, nuts, almonds, berries, or other assorted sweet fruits, nougat, fudge, or toffee, mint, chocolate chips, marshmallow, and, popularly, liqueur.

In many of the chocolate stores you will also find very pretty mendiants, a traditional French confection composed of a chocolate disk studded with nuts and dried fruits representing the four mendicant or monastic orders of the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans and Carmelites. Each of the nuts and dried fruits used refer to the color of monastic robes with tradition dictating raisins for the Dominicans, hazelnut for the Augustins, dried fig for Franciscans and almond for Carmelite  - you just cannot resist these treats, trust me. I think, David, you know what I am talking about!

There are countless stores and unbelievably pretty buildings to marvel at...

...and countless Cafés and incredible restaurants (there are presently eight star-studded restaurants listed in the Guide Michelin 2013 and thirty-six in the Gault Millau 2013).

Colorful huge flags were on disaplay in many streets throughout the city - this particular one was one of my favorites and it depicts the very popular fiets (bicycles) - although almost all streets of Bruges are one way, they are both ways for bikes. Therefore the bicycling is a very popular way  to visit Bruges and its surroundings.

A view of one of the many narrow and utterly charming alleyways...

...and pretty gables.

Bruges is truly a city of bicycles enthusiats, these were parked in the main market place.

World-famous Godiva Chocolatier originated in 1926 in Belgium. The founder and chocolatier Joseph Draps developed a unique formula for a very rich and smooth chocolate and shell-molded designs. In 1926, Draps opened his first Godiva Chocolatier shop on a cobblestone street on Grand Place, Brussels’ central square. Today the GODIVA brand is known – and loved – in over 80 countries around the world. Godiva owns and operates more than 450 boutiques and shops worldwide but this picture was taken in the Godiva store in Bruges - look at these paper cones filled with lovely ripe strawberries dipped in delicious white Godiva chocolate.

For those who prefer treats without chocolate, there are famous macarons, a sweet meringue-based confection made with eggs, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond powder or ground almond, and food colouring. The macaron is commonly filled with ganache, buttercream or jam filling sandwiched between two biscuits. The name is derived from the Italian word macarone, maccarone or maccherone, the Italian meringue.In Bruges you can find them in every conceivable color and flavor combination - actually, they are even available in four different varieties at that rather famous fast food restaurant with the golden arches - that´s Belgium.

More bicycles and sight-seeing in the main market square or Markt - it is dominated by its Belfry, for centuries the city’s foremost edifice and the perfect look-out in case of war, fire or any other calamity. You can still climb to the top of this medieval tower as a narrow, steep staircase of 366 steps leads to the top of the 83-metre-high building, which leans about a metre to the east - for those of you who are interested in not so mainstream movies, this is the building that was a central feature of the 2008 film "In Bruges" a 2008 British-American black comedy.

At the foot of the Belfry is the statue of Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck. These two popular heroes of Bruges resisted French oppression and consequently played an important part during the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302. Their statue looks out onto the Gothic revival style Provinciaal Hof (Provincial Palace).

Bruges local police - on bicycles! "CSI: Bruges", no doubt!

You can also choose to take a rather romantic and individual tour in the heart of Bruges´ medieval centre, a tour in a horse-drawn carriage will take you along the canals and over the typical small bridges (you can hear them throughout the city and they are fast). The coach driver will explain the city to you, and halfway through the tour, the horse (and the passengers) get a rest...

...at the Beguinage or "The Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaarde" with its whitewashed house fronts, tranquil convent garden and beguinage museum that was founded in 1245. Today the nuns of the Order of Saint Benedict inhabit the site.

More alleyways and Cafés...

...and a visit with Tintin and his dog Milou - "The Adventures of Tintin" ("Les Aventures de Tintin") is a series of comic albums created by Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi (1907–1983), who wrote under the pen name of Hergé. The series is one of the most popular European comics of the 20th century.

More chocolate wrapped every so elegantly in golden paper...

...or placed in paper cut-outs resembling the old buildings in Bruges...

...or with papers that looked like paintings depicting one of the many bridges and more buildings in the city.

And, of course, there is the artisinal Belgian beers and ales with the most delightful names, labels, bottle designs and flavors you will ever taste and see or ever come across - did you notice the "Hercule Stout" - a nod to Hercule Poirot a fictional Belgian detective, created by Agatha Christie - along with Miss Marple, Poirot is one of Christie's most famous and long-lived characters.

This was just one if the countless glasses - there seems to be a different glass for almost every kind of beer that is available at this famous Bruges beer store...

...and quite a few of them can be marveled at when walking along the so-called "Wall of Beers" - quite popular with tourists I might add (Mary, do you recognize the three girls wearing the Aspen caps...).

This stately, late Gothic building is called Perez de Malvenda House. This striking 15th-century mansion was restored from the rafters to the cellar in neo-Gothic style and nowadays accommodates the shop that sells not only local specialties like the famous Avocaat (egg liquor) but also many of the above mentioned beers and chocolates.

If you rather not take the bike or tour the city by horse-drawn carriage and prefer to see the city from a different angle, why not take one of the frequent canal boat tours. During the half-hour boat trip you are treated to some fantastic views of monuments and historical buildings. A tour through the canals of Bruges takes you through a major part of the city - also extremly popular with the many tourists that were visiting that day, actaully every day.

This is a statue of Saint Nepomuk watching over the bridge with the same name....

...more lovely gables.

Golden statues gracing the Basilica of the Holy Blood (Basiliek van het Heilig Bloed).

This double chapel consists of the Romanesque Church of Saint Basil (1139-1149) on the ground floor and the Basilica on the first floor, rebuilt in Gothic revival style in the 19th century. The Relic of the Holy Blood is kept in the Basilica.

After this virtual tour of some of the most wonderful places and things to visit and look at and things to taste while in Bruges, all that is left to say at the end of PART I of my Bruges post is that "when visiting Belgium, make sure to stop by Bruges - this Belgian city is certainly worth a visit"!

Part II of my two-part mini series will feature one of the most beloved and famous and utterly delightful Speculoos bakeries in Bruges...