It’s the time of year when Aldi sells all kinds of old-fashioned German and European sweets that are just perfect for enjoying with a hot drink on a cold winter’s day. There’s spiced pfeffernüsse, panettone, erdnussberge peanut cluster, and loaves of stollen.
Spekulatius are some of my favorite treats in the Aldi Winternacht product line. Winternacht is German for “winter night.” Winternacht is not a company but instead is the private label Aldi uses for these treats that show up in stores during the holidays. I’ve written before about some basic spekulatius spiced biscuits or cookies that Aldi sells during this time of year. Aldi also sells spekulatius that feature almond slivers, and that’s what I’m taking a closer look at today.
Winternacht Almond Spekulatius cost $2.49 for a 10.58-ounce box at the time of publication. One box contains 15 two-cookie servings, which comes out to about 17 cents per serving, or about 24 cents per ounce.
These are made in Germany.
Spekulatius are a shortbread biscuit or cookie made with special cookie molds (the molds were originally made with intricately carved wooden boards) in shapes such as animals, people, and windmills that tell the story of St. Nicholas, and the tradition goes back to the 15th century. They get their name from the Latin word Specculum, which means “mirror,” because the carved molds create cookies with a mirror image. They’re popular in Germany as well as in Belgium, the Netherlands, and other parts of Europe. These crispy, buttery cookies are made with warm spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom.
Nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)
If you’re looking out for allergens, the Aldi spekulatius contain wheat and tree nuts (almonds). They may contain milk and peanuts.
The full ingredients list is wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oil (palm oil), almonds, caramelized sugar syrup, spices (it would be helpful if Aldi listed what spices), salt, and leavening (sodium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate).
One 2-cookie serving has 100 calories, 5 grams of total fat (7% DV), 1.5 grams of saturated fat (9% DV), 60 mg of sodium (2% DV), 13 grams of total carbohydrates (4% DV), 1 gram of dietary fiber (2% DV), 5 grams of added sugars (10% DV), and 2 grams of protein.
A front and back view of the cookies.
These taste pretty much like what I remember the regular spekulatius biscuits from Aldi tasting like, except that these almond spekulatius have slivered almonds on the bottom of each cookie. They are nicely spiced, without being overbearing like some other cookies in the Winternacht line are. Overall, these are a nice shortbread cookie with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and other classic spices.
The Verdict:
Winternacht Almond Spekulatius are crisp, buttery shortbread cookies with warm spices and almonds. These are a classic Christmas cookie in parts of Europe, and the cookie shapes are said to tell the story of St. Nicholas. Enjoy with a mug of hot coffee, tea, or cocoa.
