A Dutch kind of pastry, that exists in many varieties and is eaten mainly around
Sinterklaas, but available all year.
Speculaas is made with a mixture of spices including nutmeg and cinnamon. The two main varieties are speculaas brokken (chunks): thick speculaas that is broken into pieces, and gevulde speculaas: two layers of more moist speculaas that enclose a layer of amandelspijs, a kind of almond filling that is a bit like marzipan but less fine.
Traditionally speculaas cookies are made with wooden moulds in which shapes like men and women in traditional clothes and windmills are cut out . The dough is pressed into the mould, the mould is turned upside down and hopefully the speculaas comes out in one piece.