Gingerbread spice, 60 g

Gingerbread spice, 45 g

Mix a little Gingerbread spice into the right cookie dough or into a dish, for example a Moroccan tagine, and you'll get an incredible variety of flavours. Cinnamon, coriander, anise, nutmeg, star anise, cloves and allspice are blended in the perfect ratio, creating a truly delicious mix for all your creations. The most well-known use is of course speculoos itself, but there are many more ways to use and combine it.

Gingerbread spice - How to use it

Spiced Pralines

30 praline shells or Hollow praline balls
70 g double cream
1-2 pinches of Gingerbread spice
140 g Dark couverture

Bring the spice and the cream to the boil together. The spice should always be brought to the boil first rather than simply stirred in. Then pour the mixture over the couverture drops, wait briefly and stir slowly until no lumps remain. Fill the Ganache into a Piping bag. Once it has cooled slightly, you can fill the praline shells with it, then seal and decorate with a little tempered couverture.

The powder also adds the perfect touch to other treats. Roll fresh churros in a mixture of sugar and Gingerbread spice, or add a little of the powder to an apple compote. Once it has finished cooking and cooled down, you can layer it in glasses with a light quark or yoghurt cream and some crushed cookies or sponge fingers. This way you'll create a wonderfully wintry dessert.

A historical detour

According to current knowledge, the ancestor of Gingerbread originates from China. It is said to have its roots in "Mi-Kong", a honey bread used as rations by Genghis Khan's army during the conquest of China in the 12th century. The recipe was then passed on by the Chinese to the Arabs, and only later, during the Crusades, did people living further west come to know 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.