Game Day Recipe: Speculoos "Cleveland Brown"ies

Speculoos "Cleveland Brown"ies

Attention Cleveland Browns (and all football) fans! We have a recipe that can make game days even sweeter.  Try these out today!

Yield: Serves 12
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 20 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup creamy Speculoos butter 
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with foil; mist foil with cooking spray. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate with 2 sticks butter, stirring until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and let cool to room temperature.
2. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, cream Speculoos butter, brown sugar, cream cheese and remaining 1/2 stick butter until well combined, about 3 minutes. Beat in 1 egg.
3. Whisk 4 eggs, sugar and vanilla into bowl with melted chocolate; mix well. Stir in flour and salt. Pour batter into baking pan. Spoon reserved Speculoos/butter mixture on top and use a sharp knife to swirl mixtures together. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 50 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack.
4. Stir 1 to 2 tsp. cold water into confectioners' sugar until mixture forms a thick, smooth paste. Spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip. Using a 1- to 2-inch cookie cutter, cut 12 football shapes out of brownie. Pipe laces onto brownies and allow to set before serving.

Gimme S'Mores!

Speculoos S’mores Bars

This recipe is from the Speculoos archives, but always yummy!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Speculoos Spread
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 graham crackers, crushed into small pieces
• 1 cup milk chocolate chunks (I threw in a few semi-sweet chips on top for photo purposes)
• 1 cup mini marshmallows

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8x8 baking dish.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the Speculoos Spread. Continue stirring until the mixture is creamy and well combined.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Stir in the graham crackers, chocolate chunks, and mini marshmallows.
5. Add the egg to the Speculoos mixture and stir until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
6. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. This will be very thick and difficult to stir, so you may need to get in there and mix it with your hands.
7. Dump the batter into the prepared dish and press it into the pan evenly.
8. Bake for 22 minutes or until the top is golden and the edges are slightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Recipe by: Buns in my oven

Speculoos + Snickerdoodle = Spectacular SpecuDoodle Sandwich

As if Speculoos couldn't get any better, we have a recipe that combines it with a delicious snickerdoodle cookie.

Try it out today and share your photos with us here or on Facebook; use hashtag #SpecuDoodle

yield: 24 SANDWICH COOKIES

cook time: 8-10 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

For the cookies:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

For the Speculoos Cinnamon Filling:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup Speculoos Spread
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Put butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs, one at a time. Reduce speed to low and gradually mix in flour mixture.

3. Stir together cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into balls, Roll balls in cinnamon and sugar. Place cookie dough balls on prepared baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are golden. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Let cookies cool completely before filling.

4. To make the Speculoos cinnamon filling: Combine the butter, Speculoos Spread, confectioners' sugar, and cinnamon in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the milk and beat until fluffy.

5. To assemble the cookies, find two cookies that are similar in size. Using a knife, spread about a tablespoon of the Speculoos filling on the inside of one cookie. Sandwich the cookies together.

Yum Alert! SpeculUa Cupcake

This yummy cupcake combines Speculoos, chocolate AND Kahlua; we should call it the Trifecta rather than SpeculUa Cupcake.  Here is how you can wow your guests with this delicious treat:

YIELD: Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE

• 1 cup (4.5 ounces) all purpose flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7.3 ounces) sugar
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoon instant coffee granules (recommended: Starbucks Via)
• 1/2 cup Kahlua

SPECULOOS FROSTING

• 5 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 sticks unsalted butter, diced and softened
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup of Speculoos spread

CHOCOLATE POURING SAUCE

• 2/3 cups dark chocolate
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
• 4-5 tablespoons water, warm

Directions:

PREPARATION

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

TO MAKE CUPCAKE

1. Add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly to combine. 
2. Add in the butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for one minute. 
3. Add the instant coffee granules and half of the Kahlua into the mixture and beat for 20 seconds. 
4. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add remaining Kahlua. 
5. Beat for 20-30 seconds until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin enough to pour. Divide it evenly among the lined cups. 
6. Bake 18-22 minutes just until a toothpick inserted into a few of the cupcakes comes out clean. 
7. Set the pan on a rack to cool. 
8. Frost the cupcakes when they are completely cool.
9. TIP: For light tender cupcakes, spoon flour and cocoa lightly into measuring cups (instead of dipping the cups into the flour or cocoa) and then sweep the measures level without tapping or shaking them.

TO MAKE CHOCOLATE POURING SAUCE

1. Place chocolate and heavy cream in a bowl over simmering water. 
2. Let chocolate and cream sit for 2-3 minutes to melt without stirring. 
3. Then slowly stir mixture to combine. 
4. Add powdered sugar and mix to combine. 
5. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition until pouring consistency is reached. 
6. Remove 5 tablespoons and place reserve in a separate bowl. 
7. Set aside all chocolate pouring sauce to cool until warm.

TO MAKE FROSTING

1. Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl placed over simmering water. 
2. Bring mixture to 160 degrees F while whisking constantly.
3. Transfer mixture to stand mixer bowl, fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium high speed (speed 8 on a KitchenAid stand mixer)until mixture cools and doubles in volume and forms stiff peaks; about 10-12 minutes.
4. Add butter in one piece at a time, mixing to incorporate after each addition. The mixture may appear clumpy and almost curdled looking-this is normal. Keep mixing and it will become even and smooth again. 
5. Add salt and vanilla and mix to combine. 
6. Add in Speculoos and mix until well combined. 
7. Add reserved chocolate pouring sauce into frosting. 
8. Using a spatula gently fold it into the frosting, DO NOT over mix so that chocolate streaks remain.

ASSEMBLY

1. Cut Skor or Heath bars into shard shapes; set aside. 
2. Finely chop any left over crumbs.
3. Fill pastry bag with a round tip. 
4. Hold pastry bag at 90 degrees above the cupcake and starting from the perimeter pipe inward and upward.
5. Using a spoon drizzle chocolate on top of frosting. 
6. Sprinkle Skor crumbs on chocolate. 
7. Insert Skor shards into top of frosting.

Speculoos spread can be found buy shopping online here.