Easy Speculoos Tiramisu (Biscoff Tiramisu)

An epicurean adventure to: France

This Speculoos Tiramisu recipe, or Ch’tiramisu, is an exquisite Northern French take on the classic Tiramisu from Italy.

In this Nord-Pas-de-Calais version, the traditional ladyfinger biscuits (Savoiardi biscuits) are replaced with speculoos cookies, particularly the widely popular Lotus Biscoff cookies.**Other speculoos varieties are available, of course.

These cookies impart a delicate spiciness and warmth to the dessert. Additionally, we've incorporated Biscoff cookie spread into the cream for an added cinnamon-caramel flavour kick. Oh yes, Biscoff dessert fans, this one's for you!

Don't worry, the creamy mascarpone filling and coffee flavours are still very much present, creating a beautiful fusion of Italian and Belgian flavours...as invented by the French. Global fusion at its best!

Individual portions in glasses provide a stylish twist, though it's just as easy to prepare in a large dish. With a quick 15-minute prep time, it's a perfect dessert or afternoon treat with a freshly brewed cup of strong coffee.

Key ingredient notes and substitutions

**Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full list of ingredients.

Biscoff cookies

Depending on the size of your dessert bowls, you'll require approximately 28 biscuits for every 4 portions (decoration included). A standard 250g pack of Biscoff cookies typically contains 32 cookies. If you plan on doubling the recipe, be sure to have two packs on hand, as well as doubling all the other ingredients.

Biscoff cookie spread

Also referred to as 'cookie butter'. Most grocery stores now stock two varieties, smooth or crunchy. 

We're big advocates for the crunchy version in our Biscoff truffles, Biscoff slices and Biscoff milkshake recipes. However, we recommend the smooth variety for this particular recipe to achieve that sought-after velvety texture in the mascarpone cream.

Double cream (or 'heavy cream')

We chose double cream for this speculoos tiramisu recipe for its higher fat content. It adds richness to the flavour, stays stable when whipped and gives the tiramisu a velvety texture.

You can swap double cream for whipping cream, although the texture might be slightly lighter. However, it's still a better choice compared to single cream.

Coffee

Opt for your favourite strongly brewed coffee. A robust filtered coffee is ideal but if you only have instant coffee at home, it works well too. Serious coffee lovers can try using espresso coffee too.

It's best to let the coffee cool before dipping the cookies in it. If the coffee is too hot, the cookies may disintegrate too quickly and it could also melt the cream.

Step-by-step guide

1. Brew half a cup of strong coffee and pour it into a shallow bowl to cool down.

2. Combine the mascarpone cheese, Biscoff cookie spread, icing sugar, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt in a large bowl.

3. Whisk the ingredients together until they're light and fluffy, with a uniform coffee colour throughout the mixture. An electric mixer works best here.

4. Add the chilled double cream to the mascarpone mixture.

5. Whisk until the mascarpone cream is light and airy, with soft peaks forming on the whisk when lifted. Be cautious not to overwhip, as it may become too dry, making it difficult to layer neatly in the glasses.

6. Briefly dunk a Biscoff cookie into the cooled coffee for 1-2 seconds.

7. Crumble the coffee-dunked cookie into the bottom of the dessert bowl or glass, aiming for a 1cm thickness of cookie crumbs. In a standard whisky-sized glass, this generally takes about 3 cookies per layer.

8. Top the first layer of cookie crumbs with a few spoonfuls of the mascarpone cream, levelling the top as best as you can.

9. Repeat with another layer of cookie crumbs on top of the mascarpone layer.

10. Finish off with a final layer of mascarpone cream. If there's any cream left, you can use it for decorations on top.
    
    Note: If you plan to pipe decorations on top, consider making the final cream layer slightly thinner to accommodate the extra piped cream on top. If the cream is too soft for piping, give it a quick whisk before transferring it to a piping bag.

11. Add your desired decorations, such as drizzling warmed Biscoff spread over the top, crushed cookies, half a cookie stuck into the cream, plain whipped cream or a light dusting of unsweetened cocoa powder.

12. Allow the tiramisu to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Variations

• Use different brands of speculoos biscuits, it does not have to be the Biscoff brand. Homemade ones will be fantastic to use too.

• Incorporate layers of chocolate shavings or cocoa powder between the speculoos layers.

• Sprinkle chopped nuts like almonds or hazelnuts between the layers.

• Infuse the cream with a touch of your favourite liqueur, such as amaretto or Frangelico. Or try Marsala wine, sherry, dark rum or whisky.

• Substitute part of the coffee with coffee liqueur, like Kahlúa.

• For extra sweetness, you can stir brown sugar into the dipping coffee.

• For the Christmas season, add chocolate stars, homemade snowflake speculoos cookies, gingerbread cookies or other spiced cookies on top of the tiramisu.

Storage

Keep speculoos tiramisu covered with plastic wrap in the fridge, either assembled for the short term or with mascarpone cream and cookies separate for longer storage.

Avoid freezing as it affects the cream's texture. Decorate just before serving for the freshest presentation. Enjoy within a day or two for the best taste and texture.

More Biscoff Recipes

Biscoff truffles

Biscoff slices

Biscoff milkshake