Dandoy Biscuits

I fell in love with this place in Brussels so much I am dedicating an entire blog to it.  For almost 200 years and six generations the Dandoy family has been making "biscuits" in the centre of Brussels, just off the Grand Place (most of you would call them cookies).

The originals, called speculaas, are a pretty simple gingerbread type recipe with brown sugar and spices and are formed using wooden molds.

It wasn't so much the recipe, as it was the presentation.  I was so taken aback by the wonderful antique carved molds they used to create these, some humongous, treats.

I wandered their original location with wide eyes, looking at all the wonderfully shaped cookies and the vintage molds.  Man, if only I could find one of those babies at an antique market (of course for sale by someone who has no idea what it is and is selling it for super cheap).

The vintage St. Nicks and Saints were amazing.  I want one.  Makes me realize all those designs I saw in the seventies in Country Living magazine and the like weren't all made up - actually based on historical designs.

As I write this I realize, I haven't even tasted one yet. I bought a box to bring back to Chicago on my visit, which will be hocked for other home made varieties at the annual cookie exchange ... I will sneak one for myself first, however.