Gluten Free Speculoos and Cookie Butter

I initially thought that this recipe had been inspired by Kyle’s trip to Belgium earlier this year, but as it turns out, it was actually inspired by a trip to Trader Joe’s.  Go figure.  Having a gluten allergy, there are certain things that you miss out on, and the cookie butter craze that cropped up (at least in our circle of friends) thanks to said establishment was one of those things.  For those of you who are not familiar with cookie butter, imagine peanut butter, but instead of peanuts, it’s made with cookies.  Yeah, we’ll go get the smelling salts.

It being the holidays and all, what better choice could there be than the traditional Belgian spiced cookies so prevalent this time of year to create a gluten free version?  In fact, these Speculoos were kind of created with the cookie butter in mind.  Not that they aren’t fantastic in and of themselves, but when duty calls…

These crisp, deeply flavored wafers take a little time and attention to prepare, but once you’ve mastered them, they’re likely to become a holiday staple and have so many uses beyond their second incarnation as the infamous spread.  Crumbled, they’re a fantastic addition to homemade ice cream, a holiday twist on a cookie crumb crust for cheesecake, or even as a layer in a seasonal trifle.  Or you can do what we do and just shove them in your face until they’re gone.

You’ll use the same cookie flour blend as in our previous cookie recipes—hopefully you made enough—and the spice blend is wonderfully evocative of a European Christmas Market, with the aromas of mulled wine and gingerbread, so you can imagine turning that into a spreadable treat that you can serve over ice cream, use as a dip for fruit, spread over some toasted gluten free pumpkin bread…

…or sandwich between any of the Speculoos that escape the food processor.

Once you have this cookie butter, you’ll want to repeat the process with every gluten free cookie you can get your little hands on.  Just remember that there’s milk in the finished product, so you’ll have to store the leftovers in the fridge.  Like there will be leftovers.  Ha!

Speculoos adapted from Bon Apetit, via Epicurious.
Cookie Butter adapted from Serious Eats.
For the Gluten Free Cookie Flour Blend, click here!

Gluten Free Speculoos and Cookie Butter

 

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Ingredients

• For the Speculoos:
• 10 ounces cookie flour
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 8.75 ounces (1¼ cups packed) dark brown sugar
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• For the Cookie Butter:
• ¾ cup milk
• ⅓ cup dark brown sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
• half a batch (24) Speculoos cookies
• ½ cup vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Combine flour, xanthan gum, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter in large bowl until light. Add egg and beat until fluffy. Gradually add dry ingredients and beat just until combined. Divide dough in half. Flatten each half into rectangle. Wrap with plastic; chill 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats. Roll out 1 dough piece on lightly floured work surface to 13 x 9-inch rectangle. Trim edges to form 12x8-inch rectangle. Cut into 24 2x2-inch squares. Arrange cookies on prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake until edges begin to darken, about 8- 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack and cool. Repeat process with remaining piece of wrapped dough.
3. To make Cookie Butter:
4. Heat milk, brown sugar and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until lukewarm. Remove from heat. Add cookies and let sit until completely softened, whisking to break down any large chunks.
5. Transfer mixture to the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to fully break down any cookie pieces.
6. With food processor running, slowly drizzle vegetable oil through feed tube. Transfer spread to an airtight container and let sit in refrigerator for 60 minutes before using.

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