This is the secret ingredient for the most delicious homemade speculaas (plus recipe!)
Most speculaas recipes are as old as Sinterklaas himself. But we can certainly get used to deviating from such a classic recipe. In fact, in this case, that’s a very good idea. Because this speculaas is probably the most delicious you’ll ever taste – and that’s thanks to one secret ingredient.
The great secret of Sinterklaas – er, speculaas? It’s a teaspoon of miso!
The secret ingredient: miso paste
Here at the editorial office, we’re already true miso fans anyway; we once wrote a complete guide to miso. Miso gives your dish a touch of umami, a hint of saltiness. It adds complexity and depth to a dish. That’s exactly what miso does for speculaas, too. Good speculaas chunks shouldn’t just be wonderfully crisp; you should also be able to really taste the spices. In my opinion, miso brings out the speculaas spices even more. Each chunk has an interesting extra dimension. As a result, the speculaas tastes slightly spicy rather than simply sweet. Another plus: miso keeps the speculaas from drying out. A win-win situation!
How to make speculaas with miso
Adding a teaspoon of miso paste to the speculaas is enough. I use the Albert Heijn own-brand miso paste myself: tasty and affordable. Here’s how to make speculaas with miso:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- Mix the flour with the sugar, speculaas spices, baking soda and salt.
- Add the butter and miso and knead until you have a ball of dough.
- Roll out the dough into a sheet one centimeter thick.
- Brush the dough with egg and decorate with almonds.
- Place the speculaas sheet on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
I’ve already made this recipe three times in two weeks. It’s easy and, more importantly: so delicious. What’s more, with one grocery shop, you can easily make multiple batches of speculaas. I think it’s the perfect Sinterklaas gift – not least because you can break off a few chunks and simply enjoy them yourself. We can be honest and share everything, right?
Read also:
- Aha: this is the difference between speculaas and speculoos
- Tested: pepernoten cheese from Aldi
- Strange foods from the past that we just can’t get enough of
Recipe: Lynn van de Vorst
