Have you tried Biscoff Spread?

I have heard Biscoff Spread mentioned many, many times in the last few weeks.  My curiosity got the better of me, so I asked Robin Sue at The Big Red Kitchen as to what "is this stuff?"  Sweet Robin got right back to me and told me it is a spread made in Belgium and asked me if I had ever eaten the thin, brown cookies given out on Delta Airline flights.  Oh yes, I did remember.  I just did not recognize the name.  In fact, if you were ever on a Delta flight with me, I was the one walking down the aisle asking if I could have your cookies!!!

So, on my next grocery visit,  I thought I would just "look" to see if the store carried it.  Oh yes, top shelf, right over the peanut butter and sitting next to the Nutella.  Thought for a few minutes, read the label, and decided it wouldn't hurt (?) to buy it and check it out.  Yes, you guessed it, I was eating it out of the jar by the spoonfuls.  So very delicious.

I started looking for recipes for this.  Robin had a great recipe here, but I wanted something simple where I could use this addictive spread and hurry to get it out of the house.  I found a recipe for cookies, don't remember where, but I made a couple of changes and we had the best smelling cookies baking in the house this morning.  Hurried some to the neighbors for fear of getting hooked again.

Try these cookies...if you dare.  They are delicious!!!

Biscoff Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons of flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup Biscoff spread
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

I added 1/4 cup chocolate chips.  Raisins probably would have been the right addition, but I do not care for raisins unless they are chocolate covered....I know......

In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Set aside.

In the bowl of the stand mixer, add the butter, Biscoff spread, sugar, brown sugar and beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, beating only until blended.  Chill the dough for 30 minutes in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Form the cookie dough into rounded tablespoons and place them 2 inches apart on baking sheet.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden and just firm around the edges.  Cool the cookies, if you can wait.   Makes about 2 1/2 dozen (which is just enough to cause problems)

My favorite German cookie....Wiesbader Brot

A long, long time ago, a recipe came from Germany with a group of people looking for religious freedom.  They traveled across the ocean and, according to a diary that I found many years ago in my parent's attic, they suffered from a lot of sea sickness.  But they had faith in their Creator, and they arrived on the shores of America.  The time frame was the 1850's.  So what did the women bring with them?  I can only guess, but recipes were an important factor..keeping them in touch with their homeland.

One such recipe I baked today.  A Christmas cookie that I have always known as "Wiesbader Brot.".  This translates to "the bread of Wiesbaden, Germany."  As a child, I loved to watch my grandmother bake these great smelling cookies.  If this cookie has ever seen itself in Wiesbaden, Germany, is a mystery.  Perhaps, it was only remorse of leaving the homeland that named this cookie.  Nevertheless, with a little imagination, it does look like a slice of bread topped with butter.

It has been a few years since I have baked Wiesbader Brot, but I do think today, they tasted better than they ever have.  I have to give credit to the cinnamon that I added.  For quite a few years, I have been buying my cinnamon from Penzey's in Wisconsin.  This Vietnamese cinnamon is absolutely the best tasting.  I hope you will discover Penzey's and try their cinnamon and other spices.  They rank top quality on my list.  I also buy all my peppercorns for grinding from them including a lot of other spices.

The cookie is supposed to look like a slice of bread topped with butter.  When you read the recipe, you can see how this happens.  The recipe is printed in "Seasons of Plenty", a cookbook from the Amana Colonies in Iowa, that I gave away earlier this year on my blog anniversary.   The tool that should be used to cut the cookies is a ruffled roller cutter that I do not own.  My grandmother's disappeared in the family home auction years ago, but I do remember it and use my pizza cutter instead.  The ruffled edge on the cookies does make it extra special.

Wiesbader Brot (The Bread of Wiesbaden)

1 cup butter, softened
2 1/3 cups sugar
4 eggs, reserve yolks from 2
5 cups flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder

 In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Reserving 2 egg yolks, beat 2 whole eggs and 2 white until very frothy and combine with creamed sugar and butter.  Gradually add flour, cinnamon, and baking powder.  Mix well.  Cover and chill dough overnight.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  On a large lightly floured board, roll out small portions of the dough to 1/4 inch thickness.  Use a fluted pastry wheel, or pizza cutter and cut into diamond shapes.  Place on a greased baking sheet and brush with beaten egg yolks.  Bake about 15 minutes until light brown.  Makes 4-5 dozen cookies.

I hope you have a chance to try my favorite German cookie.  They are now resting until the grandchildren arrive Christmas week.  By the way, my favorite way to eat them is dunked in hot chocolate.  YUM