Speculaas

Directions

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. 2
   Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, mace, white pepper, and cloves in a large bowl.
3. 3
   Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
4. 4
   Beat in half the flour mixture.
5. 5
   Beat in water, then remaining flour mixture.
6. 6
   Shape into 3 disks.
7. 7
   Pat each to a 1-inch thickness, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
8. 8
   Dust surface and springerle mold (or rolling pin) lightly with confectioners' sugar.
9. 9
   Roll out dough to a 1/4- to 3/8-inch thickness (deeper molds will need thicker dough).
10. 10
    Cut a piece of dough about the size of the mold.
11. 11
    Press mold firmly into dough, flip over, and gently roll over dough with a rolling pin.
12. 12
    Flip over, and press onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
13. 13
    Using a knife, trim excess dough.
14. 14
    Gently coax dough out of mold with fingertips and onto a baking sheet.
15. 15
    Repeat, spacing cookies 1 inch apart, and placing same-size cookies on same sheet.
16. 16
    Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
17. 17
    Place 1 sheet of cookies in the oven, and immediately reduce temperature to 250.
18. 18
    Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until cookies are set and just beginning to turn light gold around edges, 55 to 65 minutes.
19. 19
    Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
20. 20
    Cookies will keep, covered, for up to 1 week.