Chocolate & Speculoos Soufflés

Photo and Recipe by: the little loaf

Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, you get an experience that is at once hot and cold, rich and smooth, crunchy and creamy.
I’m not going to say it’s good for your waistline, but it’s definitely good for your soul. This is a dessert that will put a smile on your face. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

For the Speculoos pastry cream


375ml full fat milk
110g single cream
1 large free range egg + 1 yolk
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp cornflour
55g golden caster sugar
140g Speculoos spread

For the soufflés


125g Speculoos pastry cream (see above)
4 large free range egg whites
30g granulated sugar, plus more for dusting and sprinkling
60g milk chocolate, chopped into chunks
Sea salt crystals (optional)

Method:

For the Speculoos pastry cream


Bring the milk and cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan.
In another bowl, whisk together the egg and egg yolk. Add the sugar, cornflour and flour to eggs and whisk to combine.

Gradually whisk the hot milk and cream into the egg mixture, then return to the same saucepan. Bring to the boil, whisking constantly to avoid burning or lumps for one minute then remove from the heat.
Whisk the speculoos spread into your hot pastry cream. Strain into a bowl and season with a pinch of salt. 

Cover with cling film, directly touching the surface of pastry cream to avoid getting a skin. Set aside until ready to use – this pastry cream can be made up to a day before you want to make the soufflés, just make sure it has come back to room temperature before cooking with it.

For the soufflés

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Grease four ramekins (approx. 125ml volume) with butter. Pour some granulated sugar into each one, tipping to shake out the excess so it coats the sides.
Whisk the egg whites in a large clean bowl until frothy. Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue whisking until stiff, glossy peaks form.

Fold a quarter of the whipped egg white into your pastry cream to loosen it, then gently fold in the milk chocolate chips. Fold in the rest of the egg whites carefully, making sure you deflate them as little as possible. Under – rather than over – mixing is preferable here so a few little streaks of white are fine.

Divide the mixture between the four ramekins and run a palette knife over the top to smooth. Run your thumb round the inner edge of each ramekin, through the soufflé mixture, creating a shallow, even channel as you go. This will help your soufflés to rise evenly.

Sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar and a little sea salt (if using), then bake for 10 – 14 minutes. I have to be a little vague here as oven temperatures vary. Mine took a little longer, but it may be because my oven is quite old!

Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Split open at the table with very cold ice cream scooped in, this is the dessert that dreams are made of.

Speculoos Toffee Ice Cream Cake

Photo and recipe by: twopeasandthetripod

Yield: Serves 8-10

This easy ice cream cake is made with vanilla ice cream, Speculoos Spread, and Heath toffee bits. Make in advance and serve at parties.

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 2/3 cups crushed Speculoos cookies
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

1.5 quarts vanilla ice cream, softened
1 cup Speculoos spread
1 cup Heath toffee bits (or chopped up Heath candy bar)

For the topping:

Speculoos cookies, chopped
Additional Heath toffee bits (or chopped up Heath candy bar)

Directions:

1. For the crust, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place crushed cookies, sugar, and butter in a large bowl. Stir until combine. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 10" springform pan. Bake crust for 8-10 minutes or until firm and set. Let cool completely.

2. In a large bowl, stir together ice cream , Speculoos Spread, and Heath toffee bits. Spread the ice cream mixture evenly over the cooled cookie crust. Smooth out the top and sprinkle with chopped Speculoos cookies and Heath toffee bits. Freeze until firm, about 6 hours or overnight.

3. Remove cake from freezer and let sit for 5 minutes. Loosen pan sides and run a knife around the inside of pan. Carefully remove cake from pan and place on a serving platter. Cut cake into pieces, using a sharp knife. Serve immediately.

SPECULOOS SWIRL BROWNIES

Photo and Recipe by: Oh Lady Cakes

A lovely dessert to make this fall, follow the directions below and enjoy J

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup spelt flour
1/2 cup cacao powder
3/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp flax meal
1/4 cup filtered water

6 tbsp non-hyrdogenated shortening
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 1/4 cup cane sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond milk
2-4 tbsp Speculoos spread

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a 9" round (or square) baking pan with parchment paper; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cacao powder, salt and baking soda; set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the flax meal and water; put in freezer to set. In a double boiler over medium heat, stir together the shortening, chocolate chips, sugar and vanilla extract. Don't worry about really stirring it until the shortening and chocolate start to melt. Once they do, stir just until the mixture is combined. Remove from heat and stir in the almond milk.

Create a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the flax mixture and chocolate mixture; stir with a wooden spoon until combined, then whisk until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and level with the back of a spoon. Drizzle Speculoos over batter then swirl using the end of a knife (or your finger). Wrap pan on the countertop a few times until the batter is level. Bake at 350˚F for 24-26 minutes. Allow to cool in pan. Store in an air tight container for up to five days.

Yield: 8 slices

Speculoos S’mores Bars

Photo and Recipe by: Buns in my oven

What a perfect combination S’mores and Speculoos spread! Another yummy creation adopted from Bun’s in my oven. Follow recipe below J

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.

Frosted Speculoos Cookie Butter Bars

Photo and recipe by: Butter me up Brooklyn

Get ready for a good time snack! Follow recipe below

Yields 25 cookie bars

Ingredients:

For the sprinkle:
1 tablespoon (12 grams) sugar
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) cinnamon

For the cookie bars:
1 1/4 cup (156 grams) flour
1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) salt
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) cinnamon
4 tablespoons (56 grams or half a stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup (110 grams) sugar
1/2 cup (115 grams) brown sugar
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup (133 grams) Speculoos Spread

For the frosting:
2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter, very soft
generous 1/3 cup (about 90 grams) Speculoos Spread
2 cups (250 grams) powdered sugar
5 tablespoons (74 ml) half and half or heavy cream, plus more as needed

Directions:

Make the cookie bars: Preheat the oven to 375. Butter an 8 x 8 pan then line with two sheets of overlapping parchment. In a small bowl mix together the sugar and cinnamon for the sprinkle. Set both aside. In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together.
In another medium bowl mix the melted butter with the sugars until combined. Add vanilla and both eggs and mix well until incorporated. Add Speculoos Spread and stir until smooth and fully combined. Add the flour mixture to the cookie butter mixture and stir to combine. Spread into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the bars and gently tap the pan back and forth so that the sprinkle is evenly spread across the top of the cookies. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a rack until fully cooled.**

Make the frosting: In a medium bowl beat together the butter, cookie butter and powdered sugar until well combined, then slowly stream the half and half into the powdered sugar mixture. Increase the speed of the mixer and beat the frosting for least 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add a bit more half and half as needed to achieve a spreadable consistency. Generously spread the frosting over the cooled bars. Slice and serve