Gingerbread spice, 45 g

Gingerbread spice, 45 g

Mix some Gingerbread spice into a suitable cookie dough or into a dish, for example a Moroccan tagine, and you'll get an incredible variety of flavours. Cinnamon, green anise, fennel, coriander, ginger, cloves, green cardamom, nutmeg and black pepper are blended in the perfect ratio, creating a truly delicious mix for all your creations. The best known is of course the Speculoos itself, but there are many other ways to use and combine it.

Gingerbread spice - Usage

Spiced Pralines

30 praline shells or hollow praline balls
70 g heavy cream
1-2 pinches Gingerbread spice
140 g dark couverture

Bring the spice to the boil together with the cream. The spice should always be boiled first and not simply added directly. Pour the mixture over the couverture drops, wait briefly and then stir slowly until no lumps remain. Then fill the ganache into a piping bag. Once it has cooled slightly, you can fill the praline shells with it and then seal them with some tempered couverture and decorate.

The powder also gives other treats the perfect seasoning. Roll fresh churros in a mixture of sugar and Gingerbread spice, or add some of the powder to an apple compote. Once it has reduced and cooled, you can layer it in glasses with a light quark or yoghurt cream and some crushed cookies or sponge fingers. This creates a wonderfully wintery dessert.

Historical Digression

According to current knowledge, the ancestor of gingerbread originates from China. It is said to have its origins in "Mi-Kong", a honey bread that was used as a ration by Genghis Khan's army during the conquest of China in the 12th century. The recipe was then passed from the Chinese to the Arabs, and only later, during the Crusades, did people living further west become acquainted with it. They brought the recipe and the spices to Europe. Today the little cake is a classic in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, northern France and Switzerland.