How do you make speculaas chunks?

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, light brown sugar, speculaas spice mix, baking powder and salt. Make sure the spices are well distributed by stirring the dry mix thoroughly.
2. Add the cold butter in cubes to the dry mix. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Cold butter is important: it ensures a crisp, crumbly texture after baking.
3. Add one tablespoon of cold water and knead the dough briefly into a cohesive ball. Add an extra teaspoon of water if the dough is too dry. Don’t overwork it: the less you knead, the crumblier the final result.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This firms up the dough so you can roll it out easily and the butter won’t get too soft while you work.
5. Preheat the oven to 170°C (conventional oven). Line your baking tray with a sheet of parchment paper.
6. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangular slab about 5 mm thick. Carefully transfer the slab to the baking tray. Lightly brush the top with beaten egg for a pretty golden shine.
7. Bake the speculaas slab for 22 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven until it’s golden brown and feels dry when you press it gently. The slab will firm up further as it cools, so remove it as soon as the color looks right.
8. Let the slab cool on the baking tray for 15 minutes. Then break it into irregular chunks with your hands. Whether you make them bigger or smaller is up to you. The chunks are at their crispiest only once fully cooled.