Prep. and baking time: 1 hour
Waiting time: 12 hours
 

An original idea from Pierre Wynants of the Restaurant Comme Chez Soi in Brussels

*I call these "miniatures" because they're designed to be lighter and thinner, and served at the end of a meal. True speculoos are fairly large shapes representing characters from folklore and are usually made for St. Nicholas day. They're an afternoon cookie to serve with a cup of coffee or tea.

"You can store them in a closed cookie tin, but they're best freshly prepared."

1. Place 200 g (7 oz.) butter in a bowl and leave at room termperature to soften.Whisk in the brown sugar and egg.
2. In another bowl, stir together 300 g (10 oz.) flour with the salt and baking soda.
3. Combine mixtures 1 and 2 and mix well with a wooden spoon. Let rest in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator.
5. Using the remaining butter, butter 2 or 3 cookie sheets.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one-third of the dough to a thickness of 2-3 mm (1/8"), no thicker.
7. Cut into small squares. Place on the buttered sheets, leaving room in between since they will spread as they bake.
8. Repeat steps  6 and 7 with the remaining dough.
9. Place in a preheated 140° C (275° F) oven for about 20 minutes. The cookies should be lightly golden.
10. Remove from the oven and with a spatula, transfer the cookies to racks to cool.