Dutch speculaas are thin, crisp cookies flavored much like German pfeffernüsse. They're typically baked for St. Nicholas' Day on December 5th or 6th and are, traditionally, stamped with images from the life of St. Nicholas on the front. It turns out that I really like traditional Christmas cookies from this part of Europe, with their strong spices and unique textures! I…
Ancestor to the croissant, kipferl cookies are fragile crescent-shaped cookies that literally melt in your mouth. They are made from ground almonds and have the slightest hint of almond flavor and a sweet vanilla sugar coating. These cookies are so good that my husband fought over the last cookie of both batches I made. Despite their "fancy"…
Madeleines, or French tea cakes, are really more cake than cookie, although we tend to think of them as a cookie anyway. These light and fluffy sponge cakes are baked in a shell-shaped pan to give them their distinctive shape, and they can be made with a variety of flavored extracts or decorations for a…
Similar to the French macaron, alfajores are a South American treat. While the specifics vary by region and country, the basic idea is a sandwich cookie with a sweet filling in the middle. This version incorporates a rich dulce de leche between two melt-in-your-mouth cornstarch cookies! The alfajores cookies are easy to make, using just a few…
Springerle is a flat, white, crispy cookie traditionally made in Germany, Bavaria, or Austria. The designs are added before baking using a carved springerle rolling pin or flat mold. Traditional springerle are made from just eggs, powdered sugar, and flour and flavored by sprinkling a surface with anise seed and placing the cookies on top…