Windmill Cookie Bars Recipes

WINDMILL COOKIES

Steps:

• Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water.
• Mix together the butter, brown sugar and baking soda and water mixture.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and mace; combine with the butter mixture and stir in the almonds.
• Roll dough into 2 loaves, each 3-1/2 x 10".
• Chill overnight in the refrigerator.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°.
• Slice loaves into 1/4-inch slices on a cookie sheet abotu 2" apart for 10 minutes, or until slightly browned.

WINDMILL COOKIES

Steps:

• Stir together baking soda and water until baking soda is dissolved.
• Beat together butter, brown sugar, and baking soda mixture with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.
• Whisk together flour, salt, and spices, then mix into butter mixture until combined well. Stir in almonds. Form dough into 3 (10- by 3-inch) logs and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Freeze logs until firm, about 4 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Keeping remaining logs frozen, cut 1 log crosswise into slices slightly less than 1/4 inch thick and arrange slices 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in middle of oven until set, 12 to 14 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool. Slice and bake remaining dough in same manner.

WINDMILL COOKIE BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk. Combine the flour, cinnamon and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. , Press into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Lightly beat egg white; brush over dough. Sprinkle with almonds., Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes; cut into bars. Cool completely.

SPECULAAS

Steps:

• In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour with spices, baking powder and salt.
• In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and mix well.
• Stir in by hand half the flour mixture, then add the remaining flour and almonds. Mix with a wooden spoon or knead with hands.
• Divide dough into four parts, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for several hours. (If you are using a mold, chill it as well.)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and grease two cookie sheets.
• Remove one quarter of the dough from the refrigerator and flatten it with your hands. Oil your mold and lightly flour it. Using your fingers, press dough firmly into the mold. Trim any excess dough from the mold with a knife.
• Transfer the cookies onto greased cookie sheets with a spatula, spacing about one inch apart.
• Refrigerate dough trimming to be rerolled later. Lightly flour but do not re-oil cookie mold.
• Repeat process with remaining dough. When cookie sheets are full, bake cookies for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Store in a covered tin.

SPECULAAS (DUTCH WINDMILL COOKIES)

Steps:

• In a bowl, beat the butter 30 seconds or until softened.
• Combine the remaining ingredients, except for the almonds, in a small bowl.
• Add half of this mixture into the butter. Stir until mixed.
• Add the remaining flour mixture and 1/3 cup almonds and stir until mixed.
• Divide dough in half.
• On lightly floured surface roll one portion ot the dough to 1/8" thickness.
• Cut into desired shapes, place on greased cookie sheet and decorate with remaining almonds (if desired).
• Repeat with second half of dough.
• Bake at 350 degrees 8-10 minutes, or until browned.
• Cool on cookie sheet one minute.
• Remove and allow to cool.

SPECULAAS

Steps:

• Using a food processor, finely grind the almonds with 2 tablespoons of the flour. Whisk together ground almonds with the rest of the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
• In a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until combined.
• With the mixer on low speed, add in the flour mixture and mix until just moistened and combined.
• Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap well with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least three hours, but preferably overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Roll dough 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out cookies and place on sheets about 1 inch apart.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through, until firm and lightly golden around the edges. Cool sheets on wire racks for a couple minutes before transferring cookies directly onto wire racks with a spatula to finish cooling.