Instructions: In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, ginger, cloves, and white pepper. Stir well to combine.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce to low speed, and beat in half of the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Beat in the milk, then add the remaining flour mixture. Continue to beat until a firm dough forms. Shape dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Wrap dough in plastic, and chill it in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Dab mold all over with a small piece of dough; this provides a light buttery coating, which will prevent sticking. Generously sprinkle mold with flour, tapping to remove any excess. Take a piece of dough that is roughly the size of the mold, and press it with the palm of your hand into the mold. With a long thin knife, scrape away the excess dough. Invert the mold over the baking sheet, and rap the far end of the mold against the pan, holding it at an angle to release the formed cookie. Use a paring knife to trim any excess dough around cookies and in the negative spaces. Reflour the mold, and repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Press together scraps of trimmed dough, and chill to prepare them for molding.

Bake cookies until firm and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Slide parchment paper from each baking sheet to a rack to cool. Cookies may be stored between sheets of parchment paper in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

This recipe yields about 24 cookies.

Comments: A popular holiday dessert in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Northern Germany, these spiced butter cookies owe their distinctive forms and intricate designs to a wooden mold, which is used to shape the dough before baking. For best results, use a speculaas mold and wash it with soap and warm water between batches. If you dont have a speculaas mold, you can substitute another cookie mold, such as a German springerle; or simply roll out the dough, and cut it into any shapes you like.

Yield: 24 cookies

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