Speculoos Spread Snickerdoodles

I remember the Speculoos craze in 2009. It seemed like every blog I read was either using it or searching for it. The cookies, the spread, whatever they could get a hold of.
I found a jar of Speculoos spread at Trader Joe’s for the first time recently and swooned. While I had eaten my fair share of Biscoff cookies on many Delta flights, I hadn’t ever seen the spread. It was pretty magical. I spread it on my toast and an apple and had the great realization that I must bake something with it.


(photo from fitnessista.com)
For those of you who are unaware of what Speculoos/Biscoff cookies are, they are a caramelized biscuit with a hint of spices. And most of the time the cookies and a spread made from the pulverized cookies are vegan!
Speculoos cookies are also a Belgian and Dutch tradition for celebrating St. Nicholas Day on December 5th or 6th depending on which country you are in. So I thought I would make two recipes using the spread as a modern twist on those traditions.
The first recipes I made was a cookie (if you can’t tell, I have been on a cookie craze lately). While the recipe I followed, looked much different than my results, I was highly pleased. My cookies were very similar to snickerdoodles, with a pleasantly crisp outside and thick chewy center. I ate them with a cup of hot tea and wouldn’t change a thing. I’m not sure if the differences in our results were due to a difference in the spreads or I somehow mucked up the recipe. I haven’t repeated it to see yet, but soon!


Along with the spread, Trader Joe’s also sells a Speculoos/Biscoff type cookie they refer to as Bistro Biscuits if you want to try the cookie. If you don’t live near a Trader Joe’s, you can also buy the cookies and spread from Biscoff in the US (and I think get bonus points if you are a Delta frequent flyer). If you would rather make the cookies or spread yourself there are great recipes here and here.
Have you ever eaten the cookies or the cookie butter? Are you as crazy about it as I am? One of my friends described it as ground up Cinnamon Teddy Grahams, which I find to be pretty accurate.