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speculaas spiced bundt cake

Thursday 4th September 2014

I am very fortunate that 2012 Great British Bake Off finalist Brendan Lynch has made a speculaas spiced Bundt cake with vandotsch speculaas spice mix.

Brendan’s Spiced Bundt Apple Cake is a longstanding favourite recipe that both family, friends and neighbours frequently ‘request’. So he was keen to try out our spice mix by making his Bundt cake with vandotsch speculaas spiced infused apples.

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Who’s For Dinner with Steven Dotsch, The Speculaas Spice Master Chef?

Wednesday 15th July 2015

Who’s For Dinner with Steven Dotsch, The Speculaas Spice Master Chef? interview by Jill for Gourmandize.com

The vandotsch speculaas spice mix is based on his Dutch grandmother’s sweet tasting spice mix.

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On the Speculaas Spice trail - by Jenny Linford

Monday 5th May 2014

Jenny Linford the well-known London freelance food writer came over to Highgate to interview me.

What is speculaas spice? What are speculaas biscuits? Why did I set up the Speculaas Spice Company. How the discovery of my Dutch grandmother's sweet tasting spice mix late 2014 changed my life. Plans for the near future.

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Almond chocolate speculaas biscuits

Monday 30th June 2014

North-Italian Alida, a prize winning food blogger, wanted to try out vandotsch speculaas spice mix in one of her recipes. Result: speculaas spiced almond chocolate biscuits.

Alida is the winner of the '2014 Uniform Foodies and Blogger Competition’ as judged by 2 Michelin starred chef Michael Caines

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Speculaas date cookies

Sunday 22nd June 2014

Cambridge-based Helen used vandotsch speculaas spice mix in one of her mother’s old recipes in order to make speculaas date cookies.

The familiar soft texture of Helen's date cookies of her youth was unchanged, but the speculaas spices added a subtle warmth that went very well with the dates.

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Scintillating Spices - Tastes of Christmas Past

Thursday 1st December 2016

Tastes of Christmas Past: keeping family memories alive with recreations of oma's Dotsch sweet tasting spice recipe.

Once the house starts filling up with the wonderful smells of the nine different spices, I get transported back to the smells and tastes of my childhood.

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Speculaas fruit bread

Tuesday 19th August 2014

A fragrant burst of cinnamon, accompanied with fiery ginger notes and earthy cloves, among other secret spices that make me want to use vandotsch speculaas spice in pretty much everything I now bake

Speculaas fruit bread recipe from Anne: a passionate home cook who loves to create lots of mess but hates the washing up afterwards.


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Speculaas almond and buckwheat cake

Wednesday 1st October 2014

Speculaas almond and buckwheat cake with spiced white chocolate mascarpone,
macerated blackberries and caramelised almonds.

I love a good spice mix, but it is not always easy to find one that packs as much punch as yours does. It taste divine!

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Speculaas chocolate honeycomb crunchies

Friday 9th November 2018

While all my previous speculaas spice mix infused chocolate recipes where made with dark chocolate, I decided to include white chocolate for this recipe.

This turned out to be a good idea as many of my family and friends were more enthusiastic about my white chocolate honeycomb crunchies.  Obviously, I disagreed. The choice is yours.

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Launch of new website

Tuesday 6th March 2018

I dedicated most of February to developing the new website that has a number of benefits I’d like to share with you . . . Let me know what you think.

To celebrate the launch of the new website, I am offering 25% off our iconic orange windmill cutter and vandotsch speculaas spice pack.

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What are Speculaas Biscuits? What are Speculaas Spices? Why is vandotsch speculaas spice mix special?

Friday 1st August 2014

Speculaas biscuits are a traditional Dutch biscuit. Speculaas Windmill biscuits are world renowned. But why are they so special?

In the Netherlands, almost all speculaas biscuits are made from white (wheat) flour, brown sugar, butter and a speculaas spice mix that include between five to nine different spices. Other 'spicy' biscuits such as speculoos biscuits contains one or only a few spices.

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vandotsch speculaas biscuit

Wednesday 24th September 2014

After several months and numerous tasting sessions, I finally succeeded in creating a speculaas biscuit that evoked all the memories from my childhood.

Here is the only speculaas biscuit recipe that you will ever need! It's probably the simplest speculaas biscuit recipe around. Obviously it includes vandotsch speculaas mix.

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vandotsch speculaas cake

Friday 9th May 2014

vandotsch speculaas cake is a 'classic' Dutch recipe traditionally made for Sint Nicolas day in The Netherlands (December 5th). It's very easy to make and just Yummy!

Obviously, there is no reason why you can't make this cake all year round. I for one do. By the way '"Gevulde" means stuffed, normally with almond paste, for which I have a separate recipe.

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speculaas spice almond paste

Wednesday 7th May 2014

vandotsch speculaas spice almond paste is based on the traditional Dutch almond paste. But, it include vandotsch speculaas spice mix, for extra 'kick'. You will be happily surprised.

Almond paste is primarily used in speculaas cake in The Nethaerlands. It is also used as filling in fruited Christmas - Kerststol - and Easter breads - Paas brood.

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Manju Malhi speculaas biscuits

Tuesday 5th August 2014

Manju Malhi is a British-born chef and food writer. Manju has come up with her own self-styled cross-over "Brit-Indi" style of food, which mixes Indian and Western influences.

I am very proud to present Manju Malhi speculaas biscuits recipe.



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Speculaas boterkoek

Tuesday 16th August 2016

My late mother’s speculaas boterkoek recipe include vandotsch speculaas spices infused ginger bits and ginger syrup. Obviously the best ever boterkoek recipe around.

After Dutch apple pie boterkoek - ‘butter cake’ - is one of The Netherlands favourite cakes. Dutch butter cake is a flat round cake traditionally prepared with unsalted butter.

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Speculaas apple pie

Wednesday 14th September 2016

It's Autumn - apples galore. It most be time for my vandotsch speculaas apple pie / cake.

The "Hollandse appel taart" aka Dutch apple pie is world famous and very much regarded as our national cake. So here is my vandotsch speculaas spice infused version.

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Retire? Not me

Thursday 15th June 2017

Steven Dotsch, 59, began to look around for something new to do as he approached his mid-50s. 

In 2014, while clearing out a desk, I discovered an old spice recipe of my Dutch grandmother in some of my father’s papers. And that's how it all started.


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Windmill cutter added to the vandotsch speculaas spice range

Friday 10th March 2017

Very excited to announce that we have added a windmill cutter to the vandotsch speculaas spice range of accessory products.

It has now never been easier to make authentic Dutch Speculaas Windmill biscuits or cookies than with our windmill cutter. Simply roll out your speculaas spiced infused biscuit or cookie dough and cut it with the windmill cutter.


 

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speculaas snickerdoodle cookie

Wednesday 1st October 2014

April Harris' Speculaas Snickerdoodle Cookie recipe is the result of the combination of her late mom’s Snickerdoodle recipe with vandotsch speculaas spice mix.

A Snickerdoodle is a type of cookie made with butter or oil, sugar, and flour rolled traditionally in cinnamon sugar.

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Speculaas bagels

Saturday 14th November 2015

Frank Zweerus – best artisan bagel baker in The Netherlands – used vandotsch speculaas spice to create Betterbagels Speculaas Bagels.

Frank makes his bagels in a semi-artisan way, using traditional methods, in his own bakery called BetterBagels, in Leiden, where the bagels are boiled before being baked. This provides a unique taste and texture.

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Cherry and speculaas focaccia

Wednesday 1st February 2017

Based on Nigel Slater's 'Blackberry Focaccia', John Holland, aka 'Baker On Board' has created a cherry and speculaas focaccia - a sweet version of the popular Italian bread Focaccia.

The inclusion of the speculaas spice mix in this focaccia recipe helps to enhance the natural piquancy of the fruit and the tingling crunch of the spiced sugar is most satisfying.

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Speculaas Truffles

Wednesday 10th May 2017

Speculaas truffles recipe from John Holland, as entered into the Great British Spiced Chocolate Challenge 2015

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Speculaas banana bread

Thursday 7th August 2014

Very easy one in a bowl type speculaas gluten free banana bread recipe from Karen. Her second gluten free recipe with vandotsch speculaas spice.

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Speculaas ice cream

Wednesday 2nd July 2014

My wife Debbie claims that this is the simplest and most delicious speculaas ice cream recipe that you will ever need!

Not only that irt also comes with a warning: "Beware - it's highly addictive!" I fully concur, and so does everybody else who has eaten it so far.

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Speculaas orange challah

Tuesday 8th September 2015

Challah is a special Jewish bread, usually braided and typically eaten on ceremonial occasions such as the Sabbath and major Jewish festivals (other than Passover).

On Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, the challah is often rolled into a circular shape, referred to as a "Turban Challah". Let's make a vandotsch speculaas spiced orange 'Turban Challah' with raisins and currants.

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Sterilising glass jars

Saturday 1st August 2015

Clean sterilised jars are essential to the success and longevity of the jams and preserves you spend a lot of time making.

Obviously, at The Speculaas Spice Company we sterialise our 60ml vandotsch speculaas spice jars in exactly the same way.

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Speculaas raisin bun

Tuesday 15th March 2016

Raisin buns are called ‘krentenbollen’ in Dutch - krenten’ means currants.

A speculaas raisin bun has elements of a hot cross bun and a krentenbol: not only the raisins and currants are infused with vandotsch speculaas spice but also the dough.

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Speculaas carrot Bundt cake

Thursday 14th April 2016

Rosie's carrot cake has always been a firm favourite in her house.

Mixing her recipe up to include sweet potato and vandotsch speculaas spice mix has taken it to a whole new, delicious level!

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Speculaas chocolate cake

Saturday 15th October 2016

Speculaas spice cake. As an addict to dark chocolate and vandotsch speculaas spice this easy recipe combines both. It reminds me of a speculaas spice infused fondant cake.

What can I say . . .  other than speculaas chocolate heaven!

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speculaas Christmas cake

Tuesday 11th October 2016

As far as I know there is no real Dutch tradition to making Christmas cakes. So, doing a speculaas Christmas cake is a bit of an experiment for me.

The trick is to start early. So, early October is the best time to get going.

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Speculaas cheesecake

Saturday 29th August 2015

Speculaas cheesecake with damson jam. Having a jar of vandotsch speculaas spice infused damson jam in the fridge I decided to use some to make a speculaas damson cheesecake.

That was a good move!

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Speculaas cheesecake with applebutter

Sunday 14th June 2015

UK Award Winning British Pastry Chef Emma Carlton used some of our speculaas spice to create a speculaas cheesecake with apple butter and vanilla.

This recipe embraces the aromatics and warmth of the vandotsch speculaas spice mix. The richness and tang of fresh cream cheese, finished with a sweet and sour applebutter is a delightful combination

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Speculaas chocolate fudge

Tuesday 15th November 2016

Early November 2016 I started experimenting on how to make fudge. The end result: speculaas chocolate fudge. Huge success. Make them yourself now.

vandotsch speculaas spice infused speculaas chocolate fudge has since become part of my offering when I am doing markets.

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Speculaas chocolate date balls

Saturday 19th August 2017

Using dates to make speculaas chocolate date balls with vandotsch speculaas spice mix and coating the date balls with dark chocolate is easy peasy.

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Speculaas?

Friday 1st December 2017

What is speculaas? A biscuit with a speculaas spice mix is a speculaas biscuit.

What is a speculaas spice mix? Why no speculaas spice mix is the same. Why is vandotsch speculaas spice mix so special?

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Launch of #Myspeculaasrecipe

Saturday 10th March 2018

Launching #Myspeculaasrecipe at Instagram and Twitter as a new community hashtag for vandotsch speculaas spice bakers.

Creating a dedicated community of speculaas spice bakers that would like to show their vandotsch speculaas spice mix infused bakes, cakes and biscuits using the hashtags #Myspeculaasrecipe.

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Dutch biscuits for festive spice

Thursday 14th December 2017

Steven Dotsch tells Kerstin Rodgers about Speculaas, traditional Dutch spiced biscuits for the Food & Drink section of the Ham and High weekly - 14 December 2017.

A traditional Christmas biscuit from the Lowlands they are called Speculoos (Belgian Flemish) or Speculaas (Dutch). They are distinctively different.

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How did Steven Dotsch become the Speculaas Spice 'Master Chef'

Thursday 1st May 2014

My name is Steven Dotsch and I was born in Amsterdam in the 'fifties'.

My love for speculaas biscuits began at a young age when growing up in Amsterdam. In those days kids were given home baked speculaas biscuits 'sandwiched' in butter creamed sandwiches to eat at school, at break-time.

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Diagnosed with Vasculitis

Tuesday 1st March 2016

In March 2016, I was diagnosed with Vasculitis - a relatively rare disease literally meaning 'inflammation of the blood vessels and arteries'. I for one had never heard of this disease, nor its potential to kill if not diagnosed and treated in time.

I have been lucky, because I was diagnosed early enough for the treatment to start in time.

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Jars of vandotsch speculaas spice

Thursday 1st May 2014

First batch of jars of vandotsch speculaas spice mix ready for sale. All filled by hand.

After weeks spent on comparing jars I have finally decided to use a square 60ml Kilner jar for my jars of vandotsch speculaas spice mix.

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Great British Bake-Off: You are never too young - or too old - to succeed on the Great British Bake Off

Saturday 15th August 2015

Great British Bake-Off: You are never too young - or too old - to succeed on the Great British Bake Off

What Bake Off has done for us is make the country fall back in love with baking again. Whatever your age, baking is cool again. Steven Dotsch interviewed by Eleanor Doughty

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Speculaas windmill biscuits

Wednesday 5th November 2014

Traditionally, speculaas biscuits are made in The Netherlands using wooden molds. They are the mirror image of the carved wooden moulds they are shaped in.

What to do with the wooden mold, how to make the vandotsch speculaas spiced dough, how to get the dough out of the molds and how to bake your speculaas biscuits or cookies. All your questions are answered here, and more.

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Speculaas tuiles

Wednesday 15th June 2016

Speculaas tuiles recipe from 'part-time' emigre Sarah James, author of blog Tales from the Kitchenshed.

Tuiles are thin cookies named for and curved like the tuiles, or tiles, that line the rooftops of French country homes, particularly those in the Provence.

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Speculaas Nanaimo bars

Wednesday 18th June 2014

Speculaas Nanaimo bars - based on a Canadian Christmas classic - MrCakeyboi's vandotsch speculaas spice infused Nanaimo bars recipe.

Though the ingredients don’t seem to me to be too Christmassy, Nanaimo bars are eaten quite a lot at Christmas time in Canada.

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Speculaas damson jam

Friday 21st August 2015

It's August, it must be time for vandotsch speculaas spice infused damson jam. Damsons are part of the plum family, shaped oval and when ripe very dark blue purple, almost black.

Having harvested about 3kg of fresh and juicy damsons. I decided to pair them with home grown blackberries and vandotsch speculaas spice to make speculaas spice damson jam.


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New wooden molds coming soon

Friday 10th August 2018

Following requests for larger molds I am introducing several new traditional wooden molds later this Autumn to make authentic Dutch speculaas biscuits. Including a large woman and man mold in traditional Dutch clothing and a large windmill mold.

This will complement our range of small and mid-sized windmill molds and smaller man and woman molds. 

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