It smells like Christmas, it tastes like Christmas, and it’s inspired by a classic Dutch treat called gevulde speculaas which is traditionally enjoyed over the holiday season. But honestly, it’s a 10/10 dessert year-round!
You will need
Serves 10
Dough:
- 100 g margarine
- 100 g brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons oat milk
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 100 g plain flour
- 100 g hazelnut meal
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Spice blend:
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground fennel
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Hazelnut paste:
- 200 g de-skinned hazelnuts
- 150 g caster sugar
- 1 lemon, only zest + 10 ml of juice
Topping:
- 20 whole de-skinned hazelnuts
Recipe: Simon Toohey
Directions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan forced.
Mix cream margarine, brown sugar and oat milk using a stand mixer (starting slowly, then increasing the speed) or by hand. Add the bicarb soda, flour, hazelnut meal and salt. Mix with a paddle attachment for 2 minutes on moderate speed or use a wooden spoon or spatula to combine. Combine all your spices for the spice blend in a small bowl, then fold through until it’s well distributed through dough.
Step 2
Place the dough onto baking paper and wrap it up, placing it into the fridge while you prepare the filling. The colder the dough gets, the better!
Step 3
Add all the ingredients for the paste mix to a blender and blitz until it forms a paste — but not too smooth — a little texture is ideal! Transfer to a bowl.
Step 4
Remove the dough from the fridge, roll it out on a sheet of baking paper to create a rectangle, approx. 20 x 30cm. Dust the rolling pin with a little flour if it is sticking.
Step 5
Place the hazelnut paste in the middle, running the length of the dough like a sausage, but leave 5cm from each edge exposed so you can fold all the dough around the paste without any gaps. Using the baking paper to help lift and fold the dough, fold the long edges over the paste and gently press them together; repeat with the short edges, encasing the hazelnut paste.
Step 6
Transfer it to a lined baking tray with folded edges down, and press the extra hazelnuts into the top of your log.
Step 7
Place the log in the oven and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until its colour starts to deepen on the edges.
Step 8
Remove from the oven and let cool completely before slicing.
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Recipe: Simon Toohey
