Good Food: Little Belgians Original Speculoos Cookies
Eating healthy should still be delicious.
By Kate Malin
Like so many good things, it takes time and care for Little Belgians founder Evy Ballegeer to make her traditional Belgian speculoos cookies, but it’s worth it. The buttery dough is made 48 hours in advance, then shaped using a custom designed mold and finally baked until crisp and brown. The result is a thin, crunchy cookie, rich with molasses and a blend of nine spices, including cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and cardamom. Cookies are packed by hand and delivered directly to stores, ensuring they arrive fresh without the use of preservatives and never sit in storage waiting for distribution.
Speculoos (pronounced speck-you-lows) cookies, found throughout Belgium, were a common treat for Evy growing up, but were hard to find after she moved to America. Nostalgic for the taste and ritual of snacking on the crunchy treats over coffee with friends, she decided to make her own, and set up shop in Berkeley, California. Her Original Speculoos cookies are a classic made modern, hearkening back to a recipe hundreds of years old that is today made by Evy with all organic ingredients and new molds inspired by her childhood in Belgium. She recommends the Original Speculoos cookies in their traditional pairing; dipped in a warm cup of coffee (or cold milk, for kids).
Original Speculoos Cookies are available at littlebelgians.com and in stores across the country. Little Belgians is proud member of the Good Food Merchants Guild, which unites American craft food businesses that share the values of making tasty, authentic and responsible food and drink.
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From her grassroots work at the Good Food Awards to her continued education at NYU’s Food Studies Master’s Program, Kate Malin brings an unparalleled passion for great food and good people.More Food Finds: