Gevulde speculaas — a Dutch spiced shortcrust traybake with a generous layer of soft almond paste, glazed and studded with almonds. Warmly spiced festive comfort.
Gevulde speculaas is a Dutch festive treat — spiced speculaas dough sandwiching a generous layer of soft almond paste, baked until golden and crowned with almonds. The warm spice and rich almond filling make it irresistible with a cup of coffee. It's a Sinterklaas favourite that fills the kitchen with the most wonderful aroma.
Prep 30 min
Cook 40 min
Total 70 min
Medium
- 300g Self-Raising Flour
- 150g Brown Sugar
- 10g Speculaas Spice Mix
- Pinch Salt
- 125g Butter
- 300g Almond Paste
- 1 Egg
- For brushing Milk
- Garnish Almonds
Video
Preparation
- Mix the self-raising flour, sugar, speculaas spice mix and salt. Add the butter and milk and knead into a firm ball of dough, starting with 6 tablespoons of milk and adding more if it's too stiff.
- Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate overnight — you can bake it straight away, but the flavour is much better after resting.
- Mix the almond paste with half the beaten egg and knead well, which makes it easier to work with and improves the texture.
- Roll half the dough out to 20 x 20cm and place in a parchment-lined baking pan. Spread the almond paste mixture evenly over it, then roll out the remaining dough and lay it on top.
- Brush the top with the remaining beaten egg, garnish with almonds, and add another layer of egg wash.
- Bake for 40 minutes at 180°C/350°F, or until done.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Rest the dough overnight if you can — the speculaas spices develop and deepen beautifully.
- Knead the almond paste with a little beaten egg to make it softer and easier to spread.
- Spread the almond filling right to the edges for that classic generous layer in every slice.
- Brush the top with egg wash and press on whole almonds for the traditional finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's a warm Dutch blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cardamom and white pepper. You can buy it ready-mixed or make your own.
Look for it (amandelspijs) in baking aisles or online. You can also make it by blending ground almonds with sugar and a little egg.
Resting lets the spices permeate the dough, giving a much richer, rounder flavour. It's worth the wait if you can plan ahead.
Stored airtight, it keeps well for several days and the flavour improves. The almond filling keeps it moist.
