Speculoos cookies

Put the softened butter, muscovado sugar, brown sugar and salt in the stand mixer bowl.

Cream with the paddle, low speed then maximum, 3 to 4 minutes, until very light in colour, soft and creamy but not warm (butter about 18 to 20 degrees in a 20 to 22 degree Celsius room).

Mix the room-temperature eggs and milk and pour in slowly and gradually so they emulsify; cold liquid would set the butter and break the emulsion. The mixture should stay creamy with no separation or lumps.

Whisk the flour, cinnamon and baking powder together for even distribution of the baking powder.

Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix on low about 30 seconds, only until the dough comes together soft and smooth with no dry flour, to minimise gluten.

Roll between two sheets of parchment, without added flour, to 4 to 5 mm, about 40 by 60 cm (or thinner, 1.5 to 2 mm, if preferred).

Square the dough into a rectangle by folding the parchment edges in and rolling from the centre to fill the corners, minimising scraps.

Refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour to set the butter and rest the gluten, until the dough turns matte.

Mark 3 cm by 7.5 cm rectangles with a dough divider, then trim the edges and cut with a knife.

Chill the cut cookies 5 to 10 minutes, then flip, peel off the parchment and arrange on a tray lined with a perforated silicone mat or parchment.

Bake at 160 degrees Celsius with the fan on about 20 to 25 minutes depending on thickness (about 20 for 4 mm); without a fan bake longer and rotate the trays.