Did You Know | Van de Loo's Original

The word speculaas most likely comes from speculatie, which is how the spicing of dough is called. According to another theory the word is derived from speculum which is latin for...

In the 17th and 18th century baking speculaas was a highly secret business. Bakers did not share the proportions of ingredients they used to protect their recipe. Also the method...

Throughout the centuries bakers developed their own secret speculaas recipe. Speculaas dough was a so called “patron dough”. Only the baker patron was allowed to use the secret recipe. Bakers...

In the old days, Dutch bakers would initiate a subtle but effective sales strategy by throwing a handful of speculaas spices in the bread oven’s ifire. The smoke would carry...

The American-English word cookie is actually a Dutch word (koekje). Lots of other words for treats are also Dutch, such as waffle (wafel), candy (kandij), and cruller (kruller). These words...

Speculoos is a cheaper substitute for speculaas. When the exotic speculaas spices were still scarce and expensive speculoos was developed in the southern parts of the Netherlands as a less costly...

Since the 17th century Dutch bakers use nutmeg, pepper, coriander, mace, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and clove for their speculaas recipe. These speculaas spices still form the core of Van de...

Historically speculaas often is served on the 5th and 6th of December to celebrate St. Nicholas’ Day. St. Nicholas was a holy man who lived in the 3rd century and dedicated...