Netherlands. Speculaas a favorite Christmas and St. Nicholas cookie.

Every December 6, Saint Nicholas Day, brings speculaas to Holland. Nicolas offers the cookies to children's who have behaved well throughout the year.
Speculaas is a favorite St. Nicholas and Christmas cookies. The dough is pressed into decorative wooden molds and then baked on a baking sheets.


The imaginative designs appeal to children of all ages, and the aromatic spice cookies are also part of the Advent tradition in Belgium and Germany.


Speculaas

ingredients

• 250 g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
  
• 1/2 tsp cloves and ginger
• 100 g butter
• 150 g sugar
• 1 egg
• grated peel of lemon
• 50 g ground almonds

In a large bowl mix flour with baking powder and spices. In another bowl cream butter with sugar, then add lemon eel and egg. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and add almonds. Stir well. Gradually add the remaining flout mixture and make a dough. Wrap the dough and cool 3-4 hours. Grease the wooden molds (if you don't have use metal or plastic forms) and lightly flour them. Press the dough into the forms and remove the extras at the edges. Then remove dough forms from the molds and bake in preheated oven on baking sheet for about 10-15 minutes. Let them cool and transfer Speculaas to a cooling rack.

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Belgium cooking with beer.

I've decided to make some posts about traditional drink in Europa countries. Now it is time for Belgium's beer. The Belgians are very proud of their beers, of which there are basically three types:

• Bottom-fermented beers, which are brewed at a low temperature ( below 50 F, 10 C). They are pale and yellowish in color and , because of the hops, slightly bitter and dry taste. The best known brands Jupiler, La Stella, and La Maes.
  
• Spontaneously fermented beers, a process which is triggered by bacteria and yeasts which naturally occur in the Senne valley.
• Top-fermented beers, which can be brewed at higher temperatures (59-68F, 15-20C). Their color is usually copper to dark brown and their taste sweet and fruity.

Belgium's beer brewing tradition goes back about a thousand years. It is not surprising that beer is an ingredient in many Belgian recipes. Here is a traditional Belgium meat dishCarbonnades Flamandes or Flemish Beef Casserole.

Flemish Beef Casserole
ingredients (4 servings)

• 1 kg beef shoulder
• 1/4 cup butter
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 large onions
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 500 ml Gueuze, Lambic or any brown beer
• 1 slice of bread
• 1 bouquet garni
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  
• 1 tablespoon mustard

Cut the meat into large cubes and fry in the butter until brown on all sides. Add salt and pepper and remove from the frying pan. Cut onions into ringd and braise them lightly in the meat juices. Add the sugar and the beer and bring to the boil. Crumble the bread and add to the gravy together with the bouquet garni, vinegar, mustard and the meat. Cover and cook at low temperature for about 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. The best accompaniment is mushed potatoes and carrot.

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