Speculaas – Belgium or the Netherlands

Speculaas is another confection believed to have originated from either Belgium or the Netherlands. Also called windmill cookies, this sweet and satisfying confection is a shortbread cookie made from flour, sugar, butter, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg. It doesn’t get much yummier than this cookie.

Despite being Dutch, Speculaas can be found everywhere, even in Indonesia, where it is eaten only on Christmas or other special occasions. The word, Speculaas, comes from the Latin word “speculum,” which means mirror. This makes perfect sense as these cookies are always made with designs imprinted on them, usually from a Speculaas mold, mirroring or copying the design of the mold.