Speculoos Caramel
My love (or our love, actually) for caramel knows no limits! The mix of sweet and salt and now with a touch of Speculoos is incredibly charming and tantalizing for the taste buds in this Speculoos caramel recipe. This Speculoos caramel has an unique flavor and an amazing texture. It is firm enough to be piped, but it also manages to melt in your mouth with every bite.
This delicious Speculoos caramel is perfect to be used in all kinds of desserts, from macarons to cheesecakes, from cakes to tarts, from cookies to ice cream. A small drizzle on top of a dessert will bring it to the next level, I assure you! For a simple, basic, salted caramel sauce check out this recipe.!
Caramelizing sugar is one of the most interesting techniques of the pastry world. It is living proof that from simple ingredients you can often times get the best taste and texture! Caramelizing sugar not only changes the appearance of the sugar, but most of all it changes its taste. However, it also means working with very high temperatures so always take measures to ensure you are safe. This includes wearing a kitchen apron, not allowing your kids to run in the kitchen, have cold water on hand in the case you touch hot sugar!
The two types of caramelization used in pastry are:
- dry caramel – is basically just melting the sugar in a hot pot until it becomes liquid and golden brown. It is a method that works great for smaller quantities, but not so much for large quantities of sugar which would take a lot of time to caramelize equally.
- wet caramel – requires the addition of water over the sugar. Enough water is added to equally cover the sugar, then this syrup is boiled until the water evaporates and the liquid sugar left behind becomes golden brown. It is a slower method, but one that yields better results for larger quantites.
In terms of results, however, there is no difference in the final product as both can yield amazing and delicious caramel.
Speculoos Caramel
Ingredients
- 90 g white granulated sugar
- 100 g whipping cream (35% fat content)
- 75 g butter (82% fat content)
- 100 g Speculoos cookie spread (Lotus Biscoff)
- 1 g salt
Instructions
- Heat the whipping cream almost to the point of boiling. Set it aside and keep it warm.
- Caramelize the sugar until it reaches a dark golden color.
- Set it aside and gradually add the hot cream, mixing constantly.
- Return to the heat and add the butter, Speculoos cookie spread, and salt.
- Mix, keeping on heat, until everything is melted.
- Set it aside and blend with a blender for 1-2 minutes.
- Cover with plastic wrap in contact and refrigerate for at least 8 hours to set.
- Store in an airtight container and use as needed.
Equipment
- Fridge
- Cooking stove
- Hand blender
- Kitchen scale
- Bowls
- Cooking pot
- Spatulas
