->Speculaas 04 <-

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup sliced almonds

In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour with spices, baking powder

and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at high speed

until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and mix well. Stir in by

hand half the flour mixture, then add the remaining flour and almonds. Mix with a wooden spoon or knead with hands. Divide dough

into four parts, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for several hours.

(If you are using a mold, chill it as well.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and grease two cookie

sheets. Remove one quarter of the dough from the refrigerator and flatten it with your hands. Oil your mold and lightly flour it.

Using your fingers, press dough firmly into the mold. Trim any

excess dough from the mold with a knife. Transfer the cookies onto

greased cookie sheets with a spatula, spacing about one inch apart.

Refrigerate dough trimming to be rerolled later. Lightly flour but

do not re-oil cookie mold. Repeat process with remaining dough.

When cookie sheets are full, bake cookies for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Store in a covered container.

Makes 2 dozen