We've Got The Blues!

Speculoos Blueberry Tart

The perfect summer treat for a lovely picnic!

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6 people 

Ingredients

• 14 oz sweet shortcrust pastry
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 cup Speculoos cookies
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg 
• 1/4 cup cream

For the garnish:

• 2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/4 cup blueberry jam

Instructions

Blind bake the shortcrust pastry case:

1. Preheat the oven at 325°F.
2. Roll out the sweet shortcrust pastry to 1/4 inches thickness on a floured surface. 
3. Line a pie tin, prick the base all over with a fork and chill for 20 minutes.
4. Remove the pie crust from the fridge and line the inside of the pie crust with baking paper and baking beans. 
5. Bake for 15 minutes until the pastry edges are slightly colored. 
6. Remove the paper and beans, then bake for 5-6 minutes until the base has also slightly darkened. Set aside.

Prepare the blueberry filling

1. Mix the egg with the sugar and cream. 
2. Place the Speculoos cookies in a blender and mix until they have a breadcrumbs texture. Scatter the Speculoos breadcrumbs in the pastry case. 
3. Place 1 cup blueberries onto the Speculoos and pour the egg mix over the top.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the egg mix has set. Leave to cool.
5. Garnish with the fresh blueberries
6. Garnish the pie with the remaining blueberries and slightly press them into the custard so that they don't roll away.
7. Heat the blueberry jam and glaze the pie.

Speculoos Spread Pop-Tarts

 

Photo and Recipe By: Flour-Child

Ingredients:
10 ounces all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
8 ounces cold butter, cubed
6 ounces light corn
Speculoos Spread
3 egg whites
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Direction:
Cut the butter into the flour, along with the salt, until reduced to pea sized lumps. You can use a hand/stand mixer or a food processor, or just do it with your fingers. Then add the corn syrup all at once and mix until it forms a ball. Dust your hands with a little flour, scoop out the dough, and knead lightly until smooth.


Flatten the dough into a squarish shape, cut it in half into two rectangles, wrap each in plastic, and chill 30 minutes or as long as you like. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Preheat oven to 350. Once the dough is thoroughly chilled, roll out one of the rectangles to 1/4”, and no thicker. Even slightly less than 1/4″ thickness is ideal Remember, each Pop-Tart will have two layers of dough, Biscoff filling, and icing on top. If the dough is rolled too thick, you could end up with a 1″ Pop-Tart. Not ideal. What I did was roll each rectangle into a very long and skinny rectangle, about 6″ wide and 16″ long. If it’s longer, that’s fine, just keep it 6″ wide. Then, I sliced the rectangle into two 3″ by 16″ strips, and then sliced those strips crosswise every 2 inches. You should end up with a bunch of symmetrical 2×3 squares of dough. It’s fine if they’re not perfect, as long as each rectangle has an equal sized counterpart to pair it with.

Brush the squares with a little milk or water to act as your “glue” when you seal the layers together. Spread about 2 tablespoons of Speculoos spread on half the 2×3 squares, leaving a 1/4 inch border around the edge. Top these with the remaining pieces of dough. Smooth the dough over the filling and press out any air bubbles before gently sealing the edges of the dough together. Crimp the edges of the dough with a fork to up the cuteness meter. I then trimmed the ragged edges of my sealed pop tarts with a paring knife for even more cuteness.

Poke several holes with a fork in the top layers of the pop-tarts to create steam vents, so they don’t explode in baking. Transfer your Pop-Tarts to a parchment lined or well-greased baking sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes, until they just start to become golden brown around the edges.
While those bake, repeat this entire process again with the second half of the dough you forgot was still in the fridge. Let all Pop-Tarts cool completely before icing.

Make the icing: beat the egg whites (or meringue powder and water) with the vanilla extract with an electric mixer until frothy. Add the confectioners’ sugar gradually and beat on low until the mixture is shiny. Increase speed to high and beat until icing forms stiff, glossy peaks, about 5-7 minutes. If using meringue powder, beat until it reaches soft peaks. Spoon a very small amount of icing on the center of each Pop-Tart, and carefully spread until it reaches the crimped edge. Top with sprinkles for over the top cuteness. Let the icing harden before eating… in fact, these Pop-Tarts are even better the second day, if they last that long.

 

Blood Orange Tarts with Speculoos Cookie Crust

Photo and Recipe by: Yin and Yang Mom

Ingredients

• For the Cookie Crust:
• ½ cup (1 stick) cold, cubed butter
• ½ cup Speculoos Spread
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• For the Blood Orange Curd:
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• zest of 2 blood oranges
• juice of 4 blood oranges
• 4 tablespoons cold, cubed butter

Instructions

1. Prepare the cookie crusts: Cream the first three cookie crust ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the egg and the salt. Mix in the flour and cornstarch until incorporated. Roll to ⅛” thickness, between two sheets of parchment paper. Cut rounds with a cookie cutter and press into the wells of a muffin tin. Prick with the tines of a fork, and bake in a 375 degree oven, for 5 minutes.
2. Prepare the Blood Orange Curd: In a glass or metal bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together to combine. Add the eggs, yolks, juice, and zest. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water, and whisk, continuously, until mixture thickens and becomes opaque. Remove from heat, and whisk in the butter, a tablespoon at a time. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, into a spouted glass measure, and fill the partially baked tart shells.
3. Bake the tarts for 8 minutes, or until set, at 350 degrees.
4. *Note: You may have extra cookie dough, so you can make cookies too!