Yvonne Sinterklaas is back in the country and of course that includes filled speculaas! Yes, here in The Netherlands you can of course just buy that in the supermarket, but homemade is secretly much tastier in my opinion.
Normally almond paste is of course a bit lighter, but I like to use coconut blossom sugar, hence the somewhat darker color of the paste. If you want that typical color of almond paste, you will have to use regular (white) sugar.
Remember that both the almond paste and the dough have to rest for an hour in the fridge, so you have to take that into account in terms of time.
For the almond paste;
200 gr almond flour
150 gr (coconut blossom) sugar
60 ml applesauce
Zest of ½ to 1 lemon (We like almond paste that is slightly more sour, so I add the zest of 1 lemon)
Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Then put in the fridge for an hour, so that all the flavors come out better.
For the dough;
200 g self-raising flour
100 gr coconut blossom sugar
125 g vegetable margarine, cut into small cubes
1 tbsp biscuit and speculaas spices
½ tea salt
2 tbsp vegetable milk + extra for brushing
Garnish almonds
Put all the ingredients (except the garnish almonds) in a bowl and mix until you have a nice cohesive dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap (or like me; in a glass container with a lid) and refrigerate for an hour.
After this hour, preheat the oven to 175 °C.
Sprinkle your work surface with some flour and divide the dough into 2 pieces. Roll out both pieces of dough into rectangular pieces (try to get them the same size, about 15 by 30 cm).
Place 1 piece of dough on a silicone baking mat (or baking paper) and divide the almond paste over it. Now place the other cloth on top and press the edges well.
Brush the top with some vegetable milk and then press the garnish almonds into the dough.
Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes.
Important tip!
After 35-40 minutes, remove your filled gingerbread from the oven and let it cool completely before doing anything with it. When it is still warm it breaks very easily (believe me if I found that out haha)
Enjoy your dinner!
If you’ve tried this recipe, leave a comment below and/or tag me on your social media (@thepurplelife).
