Speculoos Cream

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare the crunchy speculoos base. Grind 80 g of speculoos biscuits into a fine powder using a blender or rolling pin. Melt 30 g of unsalted butter and mix it with the biscuit powder. Divide this mixture among 6 glasses or ramekins, pressing firmly with the back of a spoon. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the base set. This crunchy base provides an irresistible texture contrast with the smooth cream.

Step 2

Make the speculoos cream. In a saucepan, heat 500 ml of whole milk with 200 ml of heavy cream and the speculoos spread over medium heat, stirring until the spread is completely dissolved. In a mixing bowl, whisk 4 egg yolks with 80 g of sugar and 20 g of cornstarch until the mixture turns pale. Pour the hot milk in a steady stream over the egg mixture while whisking vigorously to prevent lumps from forming.

Step 3

Cook the cream. Return everything to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula. The cream will thicken gradually: it is ready when it coats the spatula and you can see the bottom of the pan as you stir (about 8 to 10 minutes). Never stop stirring, especially around the edges and bottom. Remove from heat, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix well.

Step 4

For a perfectly smooth texture, pass the cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Divide the cream among the 6 glasses, on top of the speculoos base. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight. The cream will set to a firm and silky texture.

Step 5

Prepare the decoration. Before serving, coarsely crush the remaining 70 g of speculoos biscuits. Melt 10 g of butter with 2 tablespoons of speculoos spread to obtain a flowing speculoos caramel. Remove the glasses from the refrigerator, place a generous spoonful of speculoos caramel on each cream, sprinkle with biscuit crumbs and optionally add a small rosette of homemade whipped cream. Serve well chilled. This comforting winter-spiced dessert pairs wonderfully with a hot coffee or tea.